Presidential Papers

Unintended consequences of the new AZ Immigration law LOL:

See Cartoons by Cartoon by Dave Granlund - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon

Seriously, I have been going back and forth on this legislation, and I am still not convinced it is this big 3rd Reich boogie man the Left is making it out to be. But there is legitimate concern regarding enforcement and the pressure, specifically as it relates to litigation for failure to enforce, that should cause ones eyes to open wider.

Boots on the ground share their frustrations:

in a city less than an hour's drive from the Mexican border, Charlton and his fellow officers suddenly are at the center of a roiling immigration debate, and Arizona's new and controversial immigration law is almost certain to transform how they do their job.

"We're way too busy," Charlton said of the law's requirement that police officers question anyone they reasonably suspect of being in the country illegally. "We don't have enough officers on the street to look for other stuff like that. If they're not doing anything, they're just being normal people. Why would I do that?"

. . .

"We are in a tenuous position as law enforcement," Tucson Police Chief Roberto A. Villaseñor said, noting that the law allows citizens to sue police agencies that do not enforce it. "No matter which way we go, there are lawsuits in the wings. The ones who are going to get beaten up on this most are the law enforcement agencies."

. . .

The day after the Arizona legislature approved the bill, the police headquarters was flooded with phone calls. A typical complaint, according to Villaseñor, was this: "Hey, there are some Mexicans standing on the corner? You need to check them out."

The police chief considered the requests "ridiculous" because "a lot of people stand on street corners." Villaseñor, a Tucson native who joined the police force in 1980 and became chief last year, said he understands the frustrations but objects to the law on several levels.

"Too many vagaries," he said. He said that he doubts there is a law officer "anywhere in the state of Arizona" who can accurately describe how to enforce the measure and that he fears it will lead to racial profiling, despite the law's prohibition of the practice.

And it is the 'vagaries' that concern me as well. Certainly there will be training, and the bill attempted to limit 'racial profiling' and other unlawful contact situations. The law becomes active 90 days after the adjournment of the Legislature, so there is time for this to work itself out.

Here is a PDF of the bill. Be sure you quote specific text if you want to argue against this legislation. Many opponents think that a cop can and will walk up to someone just because of the color of their skin. Nothing in the law allows for that, and in fact, specifically prohibits it.

The attorney general or county
attorney shall not investigate complaints that are based solely on race

I understand the need to regain control of our porous borders, but not at the expense of the rights of citizens who are here legally and lawfully. I'll continue to educate myself on this issue as I try to reconcile the realities being shared by both side of the aisle.

Flash