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For Kai Wright, editor of ColorLines.com, a news analysis Website, all the heated debate, protests and legal wrangling over the tough Arizona immigration law that was gutted by a federal judge last Wednesday boils down to simple math.
Arizona and its immigration law equal racial profiling, and racial profiling, under any circumstance, is racist and wrong, the Brooklyn-based writer and editor told Aol. Black Voices:
"The way the law is written, it would ask police to profile people. It would actually require racial profiling, which is a situation black people are very familiar with.
"To attempt to identify someone as undocumented ... I don't see how you could write the law without racial profiling."
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton ruled that Arizona law SB 1070, which would have empowered police to question people whom they suspect of being illegal immigrants intrudes on federal immigration enforcement.
Bolton's decision backs up the Justice Department's argument and gave the Obama administration a victory in a legal battle that will likely go to the U.S. Supreme Court, since Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has announced that she will appeal the Bolton decision.
The Justice Department lawsuit against Arizona is supported by a clause in the U.S. Constitution that grants the federal government sole authority to create and enforce immigration law, but because the federal government authorizes local governments to assist in some immigration enforcement actions, the legality of Arizona's action is uncertain.
Bolton's decision blocked a provision to require police to check immigration status if they stop someone while enforcing other laws. Also on hold is a measure to criminalize the failure of immigrants to carry registration papers.
Civil rights groups and federal lawyers had objected to those provisions, while Arizona officials defended them as necessary to fight a tide of illegal immigration.
Debate on the Arizona law has caused a divide nationwide, with supporters arguing that they want immigration law strictly enforced, while opponents like Wright see profiling as disturbing part of the measure.
Defenders of the Arizona law say that because more than a dozen of other states are considering similar legislation, a popular groundswell is emerging for stronger immigration enforcement.
Wright, however, says that an orchestrated campaign by the conservative Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is behind the proposed legislation in many of those states:
"In these other states, the laws are being pushed by FAIR. They are not growing up from the people organically."
Bob Dane, a FAIR spokesman, told Aol. Black Voices that the Washington, D.C.–based group helped Arizona craft its law but denied that the group is behind any campaign to spread similar laws to other states.
"There is no grand scheme or lead architect to spread these laws," Dane said. "It is a grassroots movement made up of people who have had enough of illegal immigration."
As far as popular polls that show a majority of Americans supporting immigration law enforcement, Wright said that mere popularity shouldn't decide what becomes law and what doesn't.
"Some areas of law should be left to popular opinion but others areas should be more reflective of our values as a nation," Wright said. "And any law that requires police to check people in this way goes against our values."
I agree with Wright that no matter what you call it, officers will likely use some degree of racial profiling to determine people they suspect to be in the country illegally.
If this country had an illegal immigrant problem with Sweden, then it would not be unreasonable to suspect people who spoke with a Swedish accent and had Swedish features.
Comments: (22)
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By: Edatted on 8/02/2010 4:27PM
What did Hoover, Truman, and Eisenhower have in
common?
Here is something that should be of great
interest for you to pass around.
I didn't know of this until it was pointed out to me.
Back during The Great Depression, President Herbert
Hoover ordered the deportation of ALL illegal aliens
in order to make jobs available to American citizens that
desperately needed work..
Harry Truman deported over two million Illegal's
after WWII to create jobs for returning veterans.
And then again in 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower deported 13
million Mexican Nationals! The program was called
'Operation Wetback'.. It was done so WWII and Korean
Veterans would have a better chance at jobs.
It took 2 Years, but they deported them!
Now....if they could deport the illegal's back then - they could sure
do it today?
lf you have doubts about the veracity of this information,
enter Operation Wetback into your favorite
search engine and confirm it for
yourself.
Reminder:
Don't forget to pay your taxes...
12 million Illegal Aliens are depending on you.
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By: rightorwrong on 8/02/2010 4:55PM
Question is Mexico a failed state?
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By: Vickiss on 8/02/2010 4:52PM
I feel that black people dropped the ball on this one. We need to be the loudest voice in terms of racial justice. Especially since white people are the main propagators of racist injustice.
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By: Brenda on 8/02/2010 9:50PM
You must not live in California. Latino/ illegal immigrants have more hangups about American Blacks than American Whites. They have many neighborhoods where you risk your life by renting or buying there. Play nice lessons are needed in these purveyors of old school racism (before the civil rights movement) primarily Latin neighborhoods.
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By: CC on 8/03/2010 3:29AM
I agree Vickiss.
Brenda,
This is an issue in some neighborhoods but not the result of generalized racism by undocumented immigrants. The violence is the result of gang activity (which are primarily born in USA) and drug turf where an increase in African-American residents also corresponds to a possibility of a rival gang moving in as well. The gangs that target black residents are usually associated with the Mexican Mafia prison gang/drug distributors.
It all comes down to the basic divide and conquer strategy. Although I will not further expand on this statement at this moment.
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By: david on 8/02/2010 5:04PM
it's not just racial profiling. it's good ole fashioned redneck ignorance. there will be a lot of conversations started by AZ police that start with, "you don't look like yer from around these parts," and other genius comments that are okayed by this bill. AZ is already paying dearly--in some neighborhoods 1 out of 3 homes are now vacant and grocery stores are closing. they're a bunch of economnic geniuses.
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By: Alie on 8/02/2010 5:08PM
Do you really think so? i think it's about time others picked up the ball i.e. the hispanics we tired of picking up other people's balls and running with it, while they looked the other way laughing as we are pulled over or sacked and they kept their jobs, sorry but we have had to put of with to much crap all our lives, let others see how it feels why should are backs be continually be used as stepping stones for others!
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By: Alie on 8/02/2010 5:12PM
If you have nothing to hide why leave Arizona? as far as I am concerned they can profile us african americans all they want, as long as they know when they send us back to africa they are the one's paying the air fare! but as they send us back make sure they take the same exit out of our country!
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By: Lila on 8/02/2010 5:37PM
The people/countries who are complaining about the possibility of increased racial profiling are the ones who simply do not want Arizona to enforce the law. Countries like Mexico, Guatemala, and other Central and South American countries want to export their poverty to the United States. These countries are not doing very much of anything to improve the lives of their citizens to where they don't have to immigrate in large numbers to the United States. I support Arizona's efforts to control the tide of illegal immigration into the state. People of all races and nationalities can immigrate legally but they don't want to. They break the law by crossing the border illegally and then quickly have children to "anchor" them to this country. Many then try to claim racism and bias when they are deported even though they are not supposed to be here in the first place. I think the President is wrong for having sued the state of Arizona. He did it for political reasons and I am thinking that it will galvanize the political right in the fall elections. The majority of Americans support the new Arizona law and the administration simply cannot ignore the will of the people.
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By: gerald on 8/02/2010 8:30PM
Well said,lets put an end to this regime from doing what ever they want against the will of the people just like Obamacare.
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