Arizona Governor in for a Legal Battle Over Newly Enacted Legislation

Republican Governor Jan Brewer signs new legislation, aimed at illegal immigration from Mexico, into law. The governor is vowing to come down hard on anyone who uses racial profiling in conjunction with this tough new law.

What is in This New Legislation?

In a nut shell this legislation will take the cuffs off the police in Arizona when dealing with illegal immigrants. Arizona leads the nation in illegal border crossings for work and smuggling drugs from Mexico with almost 500,000 living illegally in Arizona. This places a huge financial burden on Arizona and its taxpayers, because the illegal Mexicans come as either dirt poor looking for work to support families in Mexico or to sell drugs to addicts.

The illegal immigrants use state supported health care placing a huge strain on the states ability to handle health care for legal law-abiding taxpayers. Other issues such as the illegal immigrants who work for below poverty wages and fill the schools with non-English speaking children who are whoa fully behind in their ability to function up to mainstream qualifications and standards.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer says, "We in Arizona have been more then patient waiting for Washington to act. But decades of inaction and misguided policies have created a dangerous and unacceptable situation."

So What Does Washington Say?

President Obama said on Friday that the Arizona law is misguided and has instructed the Justice Department to look into the legality of the new law. He went on further to say that it undermines the effort of our law enforcement agencies when dealing with Hispanics in the community because of the fear of going to jail if they cooperate with police.

The new law imposes a penalty of six months in jail and up to a $2,500 dollar fine for anyone caught in Arizona without papers that prove they are in the country legally. It also allows for the state to sue governments that hamper the effort to rid Arizona of these illegal immigrants. It toughens laws which catch Americans using them as day labors or caught transporting them for work.

President Obama and the federal government need to get busy enacting federal legislation before other states get in on the action and draft like legislation. Tensions are on the rise and could boil over if the feds don't act quickly.

What Do the Protesters Say About the New Legislation?

The Mexican American Defense and Education Fund plans a challenge in the courts dealing with this new legislation.

The National Association of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders Legal Defense Fund plans a court battle as well. This fund represents 30,000 evangelical churches nationwide and over 300 pastors in Arizona alone.

President William Sanchez says, "Millions of Latinos around the country are shocked."

Mexico is voicing their concerns as well by saying they would have to reconsider cross border agreements with Arizona. Why not do something to help their own citizens? What does Mexico do when Americans are detained in Mexico, absolutely nothing.

I believe America and each individual state has a right to protect their borders and enforce the immigration laws. If nothing else Arizona has made a call to action to bring relief to American taxpayers burdened with 11 million of Mexico's poorest citizens.

Source:

Paul Davenport and Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press article "Advocates Vow Challenges to Ariz. Immigration Law", 4/24/10