Arizona’s new and highly controversial immigration law is set to go into effect on July 29th. Mexico has requested for an Arizona federal court to prevent the implementation on the grounds that it is unconstitutional.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon has decried the new law as discriminatory, and he’s right. It is. Arizona law enforcement officials, under the new law, would be required to request proof of citizenship during investigations if there is a “reasonable suspicion” that a given person might be an illegal immigrant. Yes, it would be required. It also makes it a misdemeanor to simply exist in Arizona without documentation, and criminalizes seeking day labor, among other things. Besides being patently un-American, this law is also the kind of abuse that is specifically outlawed in the Bill of Rights.
Although Arizona law enforcement officials claim that this new authority will not be misused, the loose wording leaves way, way too much room for civil rights abuse. A Hispanic person born in Arizona will need to carry proof of citizenship around at all times to avoid the possibility of wrongful deportation or incarceration. As a result, many Hispanic-American citizens are leaving the Grand Canyon state all together.
It should be obvious that this new law is a thinly veiled attempt to legitimize the racial profiling that is already rampant throughout the border states. If the implementation is carried out, then other border states may follow suit. If this happens it will arguably do little to prevent illegal immigration. Those who choose to jump border fences in Mexicali or swim across the Rio Grande in search of a better future will still do so. What it will definitely do is make potential, legitimate immigrants tourists and travelers think twice about deciding to live, work or do business in America. If the Arizona federal court wants to uphold the constitution, then there is really only one option. This law must be deemed unconstitutional and thrown off the books. Mexico’s lawsuit is intended to make that happen.