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Paper Trail: Arizona v. Illegal Immigrants

Published: Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Updated: Monday, May 10, 2010 14:05

Welcome to Arizona Graphic

Jacob Hight

“Show me your papers.”

Doesn’t this sound like what the Nazi’s did during the Holocaust?

Well in Arizona, the new immigration law seems about the same. What Arizona is asking of their immigrants is a lot like what the Nazis did with the Jews during World War II.

The bill, which was signed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on April 23, 2010, states that any police officer can ask for someone’s documents if he or she has reasonable suspicion that person is in the United States illegally.

The documents required, according to Title II of the Immigration and Nationality Act, are certificate of alien registration and an alien social security card.

Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles claimed that the officers asking a person for documents was like “Nazism.”

The theory behind reasonable suspicion requires the officers use racial profiling to really suspect someone of being in the country illegally.

Reasonable suspicion, by law, is the stopping of an individual based on facts given to the police officer but doesn’t always mean hard evidence. Police officers need more than a hunch but still can have that suspicion of wrongdoing.

The person can also be taken immediately into United States custody until they have found evidence that this person is here legally.

Our country is in a state of fear ever since the attacks in 2001. We live in fear wherever we go, and now, we are taking away the one thing we have strived for since we built this country: immigration.

Immigration is what built this country up, and that is who we are as a nation, immigrants. Immigrants have helped build jobs and helped our economy grow.

Making it a law based on reasonable suspicion is not enough evidence for this law to be passed.

Immigrants coming into the country illegally are a big problem, but we cannot resort to this sort of racial profiling.

There are a lot of people concerned about illegal immigrants coming into their state or country and taking their jobs.

On March 27, Arizona rancher Robert Krentz was brutally murdered by an illegal immigrant, who then fled back to Mexico.

Krentz was often known for being a good Samaritan who often helped illegal immigrants cross the border, and it finally back-fired on him. This is an example of why many people felt the immigrant law needed to be passed. To them, this strict law needs to be in enforced on people coming into the United States illegally.

We do have a problem with immigrants coming into this country illegally and that something has to be done to stop these crimes.

Senate republicans in the state of Arizona, who helped pass this bill, believed it would help enforce laws that are already in place so that there would be less crime, lower taxes and safer neighborhoods.

Weren’t we trying to stay away from this type of behavior?

Equality is what we built this country on and it looks like we are breaking that promise on making sure one is treated equally, not just for gender but for race too.

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6 comments

Anonymous
Sun Jul 25 2010 17:46
The author of this article is drinking typical liberal coolaid, like most probably hasnt even read the law. Sneak into mexico or china and see what happens! Im sure then you will stop hating America!
Sensational
Wed May 12 2010 13:19
Naziism? Really? Take a look at immigration laws and requirements for travelers in other countries. Then try again on this article.
Anonymous
Tue May 11 2010 14:38
Let’s add just a little bit of common sense to this debate:

If a person walks into your house that you don't know and didn't invite, you wouldn't be saying "hospitality is what makes our country great"... you would kick them out to protect yourself (and family); I doubt any person would even care what their name is or what the color of their skin is.

This law is NOTHING like what the Nazis did; we aren't packing the Illegal Aliens into a gas chamber we are going to make thier life a little uncomfortable and then ship them home. It is childish to compare this law to one of the worst (documented) acts of genocide in the 20th Century. If you want to be taken seriously, don't "cheapen" the debate by making such naive and insensitive comparisons.

If you want a real story about Arizona's law, perhaps you should look at how this is an example of a much broader movement in our country: State Sovereignty. While this law in Arizona isn't the most dramatic "show of force", it is definitely telling the F.G. that they aren't going to lay down on-demand. Ironically, the State Sovereignty Movement doesn't have a "Red-State Blue-State" divide; there are as many liberal states (i.e. Washington, California, Michigan) asserting this pressure as there are conservative states (i.e. Oklahoma, Missouri, Georgia). If you don't look at the Arizona Law in relation to this overall movement then you are "missing the boat".

Anonymous
Fri May 7 2010 13:24
Mexicans, who are a mix of the white Spaniards who colonized this country, and indigenous Americans, who were forced off their own land by the Spaniards, are not being let into the country that they have technically more of a right to be in than anyone else, excluding descendants of indigenous Americans. Hil-ar-ious.
Anonymous
Thu May 6 2010 20:53
It does sound a lot like what the Nazis did to the Jews in WWII. Also sounds a lot like what almost every country in the world today that has any semblance of government does as well.
Anonymous
Wed May 5 2010 08:31
Free immigration's slavesBy David Alsabery May 05, 2010You see, their law states: "A penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of 300 to 5,000 pesos will be imposed on the foreigner who enters the country illegally." Did you know it is the law in Mexico that all police are responsible to check for illegal immigration status? According to Amnesty International, "nearly 10,000 (immigrants) were abducted over six months and almost half of interviewed victims saying that (Mexican) public officials were involved". So can someone explain the president of Mexico's outrage about the new immigration law in Arizona while his government stands by and allows an estimated six out of 10 migrant women and girls to experience some form of sexual violence while passing through his country? Mexican President Felipe Calderon is not happy about Arizona's decision to enforce the immigration laws of the United States. Calderon says the law will lead to "intolerance, hate, discrimination and abuse in law enforcement." "My government cannot and will not remain indifferent when these kinds of policies go against human rights," he said.Felipe Calderon, leader of the totalitarian, narco-terrorist country of Mexico, openly supports the use of all law enforcement and military forces to find and arrest illegal immigrants in Mexico. According to Amnesty International: "Public officials turn a blind eye, or even play an active part in kidnappings, rapes and murders." Did you know that as an American you have no rights in Mexico? You're banned from interfering in Mexican politics under penalty of jail or deportation. Don't even think of going to Mexico to protest their treatment of illegal aliens, you will end up in jail or be part of the six out of 10 statistic. Where is the outrage from President Obama against the evil and abusive government of Mexico towards all Americans? Does President Obama believe it's acceptable to exploit Latino immigrants to support big business? What would President Calderon say if we adopted the same laws he enforces? So what does the "evil" Arizona law actually say? In short, the law requires that Arizona state employees simply comply with federal law. Arizona SB1070 "requires officials and agencies of the state and political subdivisions to fully comply with and assist in the enforcement of federal immigration laws." They updated the law to state immigration-status questions would follow a law enforcement officer's stopping, detaining or arresting a person while enforcing another law. The earlier law had referred to a "contact" with police, which lawsuits asserted was too vague.Choosing to not enforce the immigration laws hides the much more sinister and unintended consequence of supporting slavery in our country. People living in the United States illegally have become the new slave class. Why are we exploiting impoverished Latinos? When slavery was legal in the United States, the slaves were considered property, and had a value the owner wished to protect. No one is protecting the illegal workers. They live in the gray areas of the law. These people don't even know if they'll get paid for their hard days of work. They're exposed to hazardous materials and dangerous working conditions because their employers have no responsibility to illegals. All forms of physical, mental, sexual and financial abuse are a part of the daily life of undocumented workers.Do you truly care about these people? Is cheap slave labor really what's important to you? Are you empowering the slave trade by purchasing their products and letting them operate illegally? How about you help the next slave laborer you meet get her green card, so she may work here legally and earn a fair wage? Are you protesting the new law in order to keep them illegal and enslaved, while self-righteously calling the other side racist? The Arizona law would be irrelevant if we found a way to deal with the corrupt narco-terrorist states south of the border. Imagine how desperately deserving of a better life one must be to illegally enter Mexico? The real problem is why these people will choose a life of slavery over staying in their country. The answer is simple. The U.S. supports the corrupt narco-terrorist government of Mexico to force these people to flee to the United States. I believe if we really want to solve this issue once and for all, we should invade Mexico and make them the 51st state. It makes more sense than invading Afghanistan. We like the Mexican people more than the Afghanis and, based on the number of Mexicans in Santa Monica, they like us too. If you doubt it would be good for Mexico, just compare Tijuana and San Diego. If you question this would be good for America, imagine the real estate and construction boom! Lets give free elections and a better life to the people of Mexico, who are fleeing the narco-terrorists and a corrupt government for a life of slavery in the U.S....






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