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Good for her, doing the right thing despite receiving heavy, heavy criticism of the bill. Jan Brewer defied the powerful Latino lobby, liberals, and even President Obama to give her constituents what they wanted and needed by signing the immigration bill into law.
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law the nation’s toughest legislation against illegal immigration Friday, a sweeping measure that supporters said would take handcuffs off police but which President Barack Obama said could violate people’s civil rights.
The bill, sent to the Republican governor by the GOP-led Legislature, would make it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally. It would also require local police officers to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal immigrants.
Brewer, who faces a tough election battle and growing anger in the state over illegal immigrants, said the law “protects every Arizona citizen,” and said the state must act because the federal government has failed.
“We in Arizona have been more than patient waiting for Washington to act,” Brewer said after signing the law. “But decades of inaction and misguided policy have created a dangerous and unacceptable situation.”
The bill takes effect in 90 days after the current legislative sessions in the next several weeks.
Of course, Obama is prepared to enact some kind of new federal legislation to counteract this state law. And then we’ll have to see what Brewer and the Arizona legislature decides to do. Do they roll over for the federal government, or do they invoke 9th and 10th amendment rights? The best thing would be for Arizona to stand up for states’ rights. Whether or not they are brave enough to do so is another story, but hopefully, if it comes to that, they will be.
In the meantime, this is a small victory for immigration reform.
Cross-posted at Stop the ACLU.
I love how the BBC is calling it an “anti-immigration” bill. Our borders are still exponentially more open than ANY Euro country.
As a resident of AZ AND a legal, natural-born hispanic, I couldn’t be happier. I don’t feel like I’ll be questioned over my status; I speak english well, and I’m not standing on the side of the road for landscaping work, or performing rape/robbery/murders. I hope that Brewer stands strong on this one. The situation is waaay out of hand down here. Combined with the recent concealed-carry reform, my home state seems to be getting back on track with the majority of our population here. Minus, of course, the increasingly powerful Democratic party here in Phoenix, thanks to the endless stream of California, Michigan, and Ohio transplants, who destroyed their own states with liberal policies and now want to do the same thing here.
Chris in NC says: Amen GZ. It’s what’s happening here in NC as well. The libs from New York and the northeast come down here and rather than learn from the policies that f’ed up their state, they try to tweak it and install it here. Pathetic.
Chris Mallory says: Wow. This is the most un-Christian article I have read all day. What the Arizona governor did was evil and racist. Every immigrant deserves to have the same degree of equal opportunity and equal dignity that your early relatives had when they came to the United States. Obama will fix this horrendous Arizona law by giving immigrants the chance to earn their citizenship in our free country. If you read the U.S. Constitution you would know that immigration is within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal government and that valid Federal laws always trump state laws. There will be no 9th or 10th amendment issue when, by the grace of God, Obama supersedes this immoral Arizona law.
TomareUtsuZo says: So, wait, if I am not white enough in my home state I might get harassed legally by the cops? Seriously? YOU THINK THAT’S A GOOD IDEA!?!
I am cool will jailing business owners/managers who hire illegals. But to tell the cops that they no longer need be concerned with the Bill of Rights is bad. Very bad.
“Every power given government will be used by people who don’t like you in ways you never imagined.” – Someone smarter then us all.
Chris M-G says: Read the language- “reason to suspect” does not mean incarceration on proof of dark skin.
That sounds all too similar to the crowd that cries foul about needing to show ID to buy beer. “How dare you force me to show proof of age! You’re invading my civil rights!”
If you don’t ACT suspicious, you won’t be targeted. It’s that simple. If you are, it takes ten seconds to show your ID. Is that action really so offensive?
Lazlo says: I live in Northern AZ. The economy is in the hole. I haven’t worked in my chosen field (Building Inspector) in over a year.
The illegals are swamping the system (they didn’t cause the bad economy but they don’t help the situation).
They are BURGLARS. The drug cartels are coming over the border. Phoenix is the kidnap capital of the WORLD!
I’m know lots of illegal Americans due to being in construction, they are nice, hardworking people, but they BROKE THE LAW! They need to go home.
Try overstaying your Visa in a Latin American country, you go to jail.
Protesters of the bill say that the rights of citizens will be violated because of their skin tone. I don’t read anything in there that says it’s open season on rousting dark people for the heck of it. This will be watched closely by the world, so I think Cops will be most prudent in the application of this law.
At the root of the anti-bill sentiment is the feeling among Latino groups that this part of America really belongs to Mexico. That conquest of the last centuries should be ‘re-set’ to the previous owners because we all know conquest is bad now.
They don’t actually want the land, they want a paternal race to provide them jobs, infrastructure and livelihoods.
In the long run, I think they would be happier if they made their own countries nicer.
man were pissing off mexico were going to go to war i have family down there and im hispanac man the poor childern think about that AZ
alexandria says: obviously rich white people (like yourself) could not possibly know what its like to be struggling for a better life, just to have the gov push you out. what about all of the people that have been here since 1 or 2 yrs old and dont know any other home. i hope that this law gets overturned. its just racism. white people dont think that its racism bc theyre white. try walking in someones shoes other than your own. VIVA LATINA AMERICA, TODA PASA EN TIEMPO.
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