synapse collapse

utnereader:

An art campaign against Arizona immigration law…

I originally thought Arizona’s SB1070 provided the ability to demand proof of citizenship without any other offense or probable cause. I was wrong. I mean, I was right, but it doesn’t allow this without probable cause—it creates universal probable cause. By defining presence anywhere in the state of Arizona as criminal trespassing!

First, “Allows a law enforcement officer, without a warrant, to arrest a person if the officer has probable cause to believe that the person has committed any public offense that makes the person removable from the U.S.”

Second, “Specifies that, in addition to any violation of federal law, a person is guilty of trespassing if the person is: a) present on any public or private land in the state and b) is not carrying his or her alien registration card or has willfully failed to register.”

Okay, so not everyone is trespassing, only the individuals an officer stops who fail to provide proof of residence are trespassing.

Arizonans: Do not ever leave home without your ID. Unless you’re white, in which case you will never, ever be challenged under this bill. Because it’s legislatively mandating racial profiling. “No it doesn’t,” you say? And how otherwise would you ever suspect someone of being in Arizona illegally? Oh, okay, you’ll just target the poor non-whites. Great.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Unless you’re Mexican, I guess.

All this is not to say I’m all hunky-dorey with allowing illegal aliens to freely cross the border and reside & work in the US. But this law violates the rights we’ve built this country on, it endangers every community within Arizona, and it will only increase tensions between the latino community and everyone else.

Instead of passing laws that violate the rights of the residents, legal or no, how about our federal government do something about the root causes. And no, War on Drugs II is not the answer you’re looking for. Repeal NAFTA so Mexico can rebuild their agricultural industry, which we obliterated with cheap rice and cheap corn. Build a non-porous border with Mexico. And Canada, while you’re at it.