A federal judge handed a victory to supporters of illegal immigration yesterday by blockinga tough new law in Arizona that would have required police officers to check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws.
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton also provided cover for federal lawmakerswho have ducked and dodged the complex issue of how to curb illegal immigration and have forced states that border Mexico like Arizona to pass their own laws to deal with the issue.
Arizona leaders will likely appeal the ruling to overturn Bolton's order which takes effect just a day before the Arizona law was supposed to take effect.
Bolton's order stopped parts of the Arizona law that would have required immigrants to carry their papers at all times and that would have made it illegal for illegal aliens to solicit work in public places as day laborers commonly do.
Bolton reasoned that checking immigration status "burdens lawfully present aliens because their liberty will be restricted while their status is checked."
I think Bolton'sreasoning is flawed because we all, at some time or another, have our liberty restricted in the search for illegal activity.
If so, your liberties were restricted when the officer checked whether you had been drinking. Assuming you hadn't, the officer sent you on your way. I'm not sure how many sober people are inconvenienced in this search for drunk drivers but society has determined that the brief "restriction" on our liberties is worth it.
In the same way, a brief inconvenience of legal U.S. residents in the search for illegal residents should be tolerated.
I'm no lawyer but if the biggest legal hurdle to the implementation of the Arizona law is that it inconveniences people in the search for criminals, Bolton's ruling will likely be overturned down the road.
23-July-10 - A child pyromaniac is suspected of murdering his mother and siblings, setting fire to his home, and then slitting his own throat with a razor.
23-July-10 - A child pyromaniac is suspected of murdering his mother and siblings, setting fire to his home, and then slitting his own throat with a razor.
22-July-10 - Ieshuh Griffin is a legislative candidate from Wisconsin who seems willing to do whatever it takes to get elected. In the five words that candidates are allowed to put on the ballot to describe themselves, Griffin put the phrase, "Not the white man's b*tch."
21-July-10 - DeFarra Gaymon, a father of four and the CEO of Credit Union of Atlanta, was shot to death in a Newark, N.J. park known for male prostitution.
20-July-10 - Snoop Dogg and his wife revealed to People Magazine that the discovery that their then-6-year-old daughter, Cori, had lupus helped bring their family closer.
20-July-10 - Gangsta-rapper-turned-actor Ice-T was reportedly pulled over by New York City police officers early on Tuesday for driving without a seat belt.
14-July-10 - An Iowa Tea Party group recently caused an uproar by creating a billboard that compares President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin.
14-July-10 - Cad-about-town Tiki Barber has been hit with a $1-million lawsuit by a fitness company that has rendered him "worthless overnight" as its spokesperson, because he cheated on his pregnant wife.
14-July-10 - Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly (pictured) and New York Post columnist Kirsten Powers went at it recently regarding charges from a former Justice Department lawyer who claims that civil rights cases in which whites are the victims are ignored.
13-July-10 - A criminal investigation should be opened for two officers who Tasered and pepper-sprayed a 57-year-old Georgia woman who called police to report a prowler.
13-July-10 - Aimee L. Sword, 36, pled guilty to having sex with the biological son she gave up for adoption, whom she later tracked down on the Internet via Facebook.
Gary, if you will take the time to investigate the effects of operation clean halls, stop and frisk etc. you will find that these tactics have not reduced crime or improved the sense of community which by the way exists although it may not present itself according to the norms and values of the dominant culture! The priority for Black people's safety has never been a priority for law enforcement or government agencies in this country. We were not safe from the 1865 draft rioits, we were and are not safe from the Klu Klux Klan, we were not safe from lynchings, we were not safe from the destruction of Black Wallstreet in Tulsa Oklahoma, we are not safe from police murder! I would strongly suggest that you learn some history and sociology prior to responding to my comments. We are living in a police state which uses different tactics according to the community that they are being employed. Liberty cannot be sacrificed in the name of safety. My community was much safer when we had community cops instead of rookies who are there to learn how to write a ticket!
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By: technologiez on 7/31/2010 3:26AM
Something has to be done about illegal immigrants. Too many bad things, like the Texas police officer who was almost killed by a twice criminally deported illegal immigrant, keep happening. Read the story here...
http://technologiez.net/2010/07/29/arizona-immigration-law-sb-1070-has-blocked/
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By: Pearl on 7/31/2010 10:42AM
Gary, if you will take the time to investigate the effects of operation clean halls, stop and frisk etc. you will find that these tactics have not reduced crime or improved the sense of community which by the way exists although it may not present itself according to the norms and values of the dominant culture!
The priority for Black people's safety has never been a priority for law enforcement or government agencies in this country. We were not safe from the 1865 draft rioits, we were and are not safe from the Klu Klux Klan, we were not safe from lynchings, we were not safe from the destruction of Black Wallstreet in Tulsa Oklahoma, we are not safe from police murder! I would strongly suggest that you learn some history and sociology prior to responding to my comments. We are living in a police state which uses different tactics according to the community that they are being employed. Liberty cannot be sacrificed in the name of safety. My community was much safer when we had community cops instead of rookies who are there to learn how to write a ticket!
Reply to this Comment | Report This