10, May 2010 Arizona’s new law
The new Arizona law against illegal immigration is having unintended
consequences. It has galvanized the Latino community throughout the nation. The
Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP) is working feverishly to
mobilize American Latinos into a political force. Its motto – ‘su voto es su
voz’ – ‘your vote is your voice’ is finding considerable traction.
The poorly crafted law imposes an impossible burden on law enforcement.
Failure to confront suspected illegal immigrants - predominantly brown skinned
people - and demand ‘citizenship’ papers can result in an untenable situation
for local law enforcement. Citizens can charge police officers for failure to
uphold the law. Thus, they are damned if they uphold the law and damned if they
to choose to ignore the law. The backlash against the legislation has already
begun.
Hundreds of protestors are wearing T-shirts emblazoned with, ‘Todas
somos Arizona, ‘we are all Arizona’, as a symbol of their opposition to Sheriff
Joe Arpaio and his anti-Latino firebrands. The new law is reminiscent of
Proposition 187 approved by a California ballot but blocked from enactment by
the courts. It is likely that many Hispanics will opt out filling census forms
out of fear that the information may be passed onto immigration officials. The
new law will have little impact on much needed immigration reform but will most
certainly sow the seeds of profound resentment.
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