(http://www.politico.com/) Arizona gov. signs immigration law By: Kasie Hunt April 23, 2010 05:22 PM EDT Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has signed one of the toughest immigration laws in the country, requiring police to stop anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant.
“Today with my unwavering signature on this legislation, Arizona strengthens our security within our borders,” Brewer said at a press conference in Arizona. She said her signature represents “fast support for enforcing the law both against illegal immigration and against racial profiling.” The law requires police to stop anyone on “reasonable suspicion” of being an undocumented immigrant. People could be arrested for failing to produce a valid driver’s license or papers proving they are a legal resident. The bill has reignited a national conversation about comprehensive immigration reform. President Barack Obama called the measure “misguided” on Friday and said his administration will “closely monitor the situation and examine the civil rights and other implications of this legislation.” Arizona Sen. John McCain has praised the measure, calling it a “step forward” — a dramatic switch from the 2008 presidential primary, when he risked his political career to support comprehensive immigration reform. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) immediately called on the president to instruct federal agencies not to cooperate with the new law. “This is a discriminatory policy that cannot be enforced without committing grave breaches of due process and equal protection. The law will not withstand legal scrutiny, and I call on the president immediately to reject it in the strongest possible terms,” he said in a statement. Checking someone’s immigration status requires cooperation from Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. “As a city, New York may well benefit from another state undermining its own international competitiveness – we’re happy to have those businesses and tourists come here,” New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said after the bill was signed. “But as a country, America will be badly hurt if more states follow Arizona’s lead.” Congressional leaders have escalated the push for immigration reform in recent days, and aides are suggesting it will be the Senate’s next top priority. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid raised the stakes again after the Arizona law was signed, calling it “another important example of why we need to fix our broken system.” “While the first step in immigration reform must include border security, we cannot approach this important issue in a piecemeal fashion. Republicans and Democrats need to work together to pass comprehensive reform that is tough on people who break the law, fair to taxpayers, respectful of civil liberties and practical to implement,” Reid said in a statement. Brewer’s signing also drew immediate fire from Latino groups and advocates calling on the federal government to step in and stop the law—and on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. National Council of La Raza President Janet Murguía called the bill 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?” she said. “This could happen in other states if Congress doesn’t pass real reform,” said Eliseo Medina, a vice president at the Service Employees International Union and a key voice on immigration reform. Medina said SEIU, joining with other organizations, “will be turning up the pressure on Congress and the President to address this crisis once and for all and pass true comprehensive immigration reform.” (http://www.irides.com/) © 2010 Capitol News Company, LLC
_______________________________________________ Centroids mailing list: [email protected] http://radicalcentrism.com/mailman/listinfo/centroids_radicalcentrism.com Archives at http://radicalcentrism.org/pipermail/centroids_radicalcentrism.com/
