Legalizing Racial Profiling? Arizona Immigration Bill Draws Fire

ABC news ^ | April 22,2010 | HUMA KHAN

[NoLibZone]

An Arizona state bill that would give law enforcement greater authority over arresting illegal immigrants has caused national uproar and could set the stage for court battles over how far states can go when it comes to immigration policies.

The bill would it make it a crime for immigrants to have no alien registration document, and undocumented citizens would be charged with "trespassing" simply for being in Arizona. The bill allows police to question and arrest people without warrant if there is "reasonable suspicion" about their immigration status. It would become illegal for people to employ illegal immigrants or to transport them anywhere in the state, even if they are family members.

Critics of the bill charge that it essentially legalizes racial profiling, which will lead to an uptick in hate crimes.

"It is literally designed to make life so unbearable for undocumented immigrants that they leave the state," said Frank Sharry, founder and director of America's Voice, w

[Vendome]

The bill allows police to question and arrest people without warrant if there is “reasonable suspicion”

For walking down the street

For Breathing

For Being a passenger in a car or boat.

For Being in a hotel room

For Being at the shopping mall

For buying tamales in the parking lot of a grocery store.

For speaking Spanish

For sending wire money back to (fill in the line)__________

For having an accent(Irish people are excused)

For buying Beer or Cigarettes(Yep, you did write that already but there is some assumption of ones age, at a certain point and I am never asked for my I.D.. Punk Bastards. I ain’t that old, yet)

For going to a concert

For going to the Mercado

For eating sangre, menudo or pickled pigs feet

For being nervous in the presence of a policeman

For going to the flea market

For living in a garage

For living in a shack behind someones house

For not having tags on your car(a valid crime but to compound it by asking for special I.D.?)

You might not fit the criteria for having a “Illegal Alien” card but the demand could be upon you to produce it.

The list goes on...

[Paisan]

I have to prove who I am every time I do anything but you’re afraid someone who shouldn’t be here in the first place might have to??

We ALL have to do this - for a drivers license, for example. But pulling someone over because they look “foreign” is where I draw the line.

[AuntB]

“We ALL have to do this - for a drivers license, for example. But pulling someone over because they look “foreign” is where I draw the line.”

In Arizona much of the population is hispanic. They are not ALL going to be ‘pulled over’. This will simply allow Arizona to ask about legality if they are confronted with anyone who is obviously here illegally..... Houses with 25 occupants, home depots with dozens of non English speakers, protests with Mexican flags, etc. will more than keep them busy.

[ex 98C MI Dude]

Police can already do that. What this bill does is gives them the authority to determine whether the person is here legally.

[Mac from Cleveland]

GOOD!

[Vendome]

So a policeman can walk up to me anywhere, anytime and demand my I.D.?

I must have missed that in pre-law but, then again I never became an attorney. If you know of some new law that I missed, where I am compelled to give my I.D. to a policeman for doing nothing more benign than breathing or walking down the street, let me know.

This ain’t Nazi Germany, yet.

Besides, how can they be issued I.D. for anything, if in fact they are here in violation of our immigrations laws?

I mean we could issue a State I.D. while they are in prison but we couldn’t hand them an I.D. that says “I am here illegally and committing a whole host of felonies, that blue eyed people would go to prison for but, I am exempt”.

How does an I.D. card stating you are breaking the law work? Reasonably? Logically?

[ex 98C MI Dude]

Police aren’t going to be stopping eveyone asking “Papiere bitte!” Not going to happen. What’s going to happen is that when they do stop someone for something other than ‘being Mexican’ (which is what you are afraid will happen... it won’t), the officers will ask if the person is here legally. People here legally have valid ID. Those who aren’t, don’t, and will be put in the tender care of the USBP.

No, this isn’t Nazi Germany. I had concerns similar to yours prior to reading the bill. Its only 17 pdf pages long. It is a good bill, and AZ needs to lead the way with this. It will help close the borders.

[Vendome]

Slippery slope....

Is there a law compelling me to state “I am an American” or “I am here on a visa”?

Heck, I don’t have to say a word to them. They can Mirandize me and I will sit around on my 5th amdnt.

There are 30,000 Irish people here illegally, more Chinese, some Canadian, some Australian, etc. Will they be compelled to pull out some special I.D.? How will an office NOT KNOW whether or not that person is here illegally?

Why shouldn’t Americans have to prove they are here legally and are citizens.

Oops, Barry hasn’t been to forthcoming on his identity.

Again, how do you legitimize someone being here when they are here illegally in the first place. You can’t.

[Paisan]

Get ‘em where they work. If they can’t work here, they won’t stay here. Obviously, laws already exist that prohibit illegals from employment in this country. Perhaps, at this time, those laws only apply to companies that are on government contract. Those laws should be expanded to apply to ANYONE employing an ILLEGAL - at the Federal, State and local level.

[ex 98C MI Dude]

Your argument isn’t quite making sense to me. Illegals can’t pull out a special ID. Those here legally can (green cards, visas, etc.) Those who are here illegally cannot, and should not, be legitimized. They should be deported. Americans have ID that can be verified. Yes, some illegals will have false documents that pass scrutiny, but most do not, because the .gov hasn’t really cared about it... until AZ decided to.

Please don’t tell me you are for open borders!

[Vendome]

Can’t get anything past you.

Of course I am for open borders, I have pretty much made my views known here on FR. Doesn’t everyone want people to live in harmony? People aren’t illegal but you knew that.

[Vendome]

Couldn’t be used on Swedes....

They are obviously to tall to fit the profile.

[HiJinx]

Ping!

[sonic109]

So they stop a legit Mexican looking person. He shows his ID the officer says have a nice day and they both continue their day . Whats the big friggin deal ? If you’re doing nothing wrong a stop and check your ID is not the end of the world GEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[NoLibZone]

Match the description of a convenience store robbery suspect and they already have the right to stop and question you at all those places and many, many more.

[NoLibZone]

"Besides, how can they be issued I.D. for anything, if in fact they are here in violation of our immigrations laws?" LMAO! I rest my case.

[Theo]

Will you never tire of using that gay "box around your comment" thingy? It's just so gay and self-promotional. You, my hand-gazer, are not the exception.