Washington, DC—Calling it a “sad day” for the people of Arizona and our country, Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, expressed deep disappointment that Governor Jan Brewer (R–AZ) signed Arizona SB 1070 into law today. The bill gives law enforcement license to stop citizens and noncitizens to check their immigration status based simply on “reasonable suspicion” that individuals are in the country without proper documentation. The law opens the door to the indiscriminate use of racial profiling and comes at a high cost to Arizona taxpayers. “We are extremely disappointed that Governor Brewer chose politics over sound policy,” said Murguía. “She joins a long line of other Arizona politicians who are trying to ensure their own political survival at the expense of the people they claim to represent and serve.”
“This is a watershed moment for the President and Congress. Will they continue to abdicate their responsibility and allow other states to follow suit or will they show leadership and respond to the state of emergency that our communities face by enacting comprehensive immigration reform?”
The new law also requires state, county, and municipal employees to ascertain the immigration status of a person if there is “reasonable suspicion” that the person is unlawfully present in the U.S. It also subjects local governments and their personnel to lawsuits by any citizen who feels that the new law is not being enforced sufficiently. The law will impose a $500 fine and a misdemeanor charge leading to possible deportation for individuals unable to show proof of legal presence. President Obama stated that the new law threatens to “undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe.” (For a complete summary of the bill by the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, click here.)
“The passage of SB 1070 will legitimize racial profiling in Arizona and it goes against our laws and our values as a country,” continued Murguía. “At this moment, we need to appeal to the better angels of what makes us Americans, and not our worst fears. Unfortunately, the rhetoric of division, and not unity, has prevailed today. We will continue to work with our allies to find a solution to our broken immigration system at the federal level, the urgency of which cannot be overstated due to this new law.”
