So I’m sure this is going to ruffle some feathers, but I both approve and disapprove of Arizona’s SB 1070. I understand that this may be confusing, but though I agree that this bill is a step in the right direction, I do not think it will end up accomplishing much.
Arizona, like many border states, has been forced into a sad situation in which they must act because the federal government has neglected one of its few responsibilities. Arizona is the one state that has been most negatively affected by illegal immigration and border violence, and I applaud them for taking charge!
My only reservation is that Arizona’s new law will not make much of a difference because law enforcement can only ask for proof of citizenship once someone has committed some sort of offense where police interaction is legitimate. So this means that every once in a while a police officer will pull over somebody for speeding or something like that and then occasionally run into a driver who does not have proper identification. How can this situation really result in much contact with illegals? If anything illegals are going to be on their best behavior and do their best to avoid being in a situation where a cop will be involved.
Though SB 1070 is a start, it is not perfect and before the Texas Legislature even considers tacking immigration I hope they will build upon Arizona’s law and come up with something that will be more effective.
In order to come up with a better solution, both sides are going to have to take a step back and really look at Arizona’s new immigration law.
When this happens, the left will realize that there is very little room racial profiling. If anything the left is partaking in racial profiling because the law requires that law enforcement have “legitimate contact” before they ask for proof of citizenship, so this tells me that the left just assumes that we Hispanics are just bound to commit a crime and be approached by law enforcement. In addition, even if a law enforcement official abused his power and did racial profile a suspect the law only requires they provide a state or federally issued ID, which could be something like just a driver’s license.
I hope that when the right takes a step back and looks at this issue again more of us will realize that this law will not be as effective as we would like. The sad fact of the matter is that while the federal government has been inefficient in dealing with illegal immigration, states are very limited in how we can deal with the issue. States should focus their attentions on those who not only break the law but are here to cause harm, such as those who partake in illegal drug and human trafficking. Other than that all we can do is pressure our representatives in Congress to find sensible solutions to solve immigration that will punish those who do harm, and protect our nation.
