Read “Fast Facts on Arizona’s Immigration Crack Down” (CAP)
Statement by Angela M. Kelley, Vice President of Immigration Policy and Advocacy, on Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s signing of “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act” (SB 1070) into law.
"With the stroke of a pen, Arizona’s governor has taken the state to a new low. Against the admonitions of the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police, the Arizona state house and the governor have enacted sweeping radical legislation that puts communities of color in the crosshairs, turns the Constitution on its head, and will likely deepen Arizona’s financial crisis. The law legalizes the detention and arrest of people who might appear to be undocumented immigrants, simply based on how they look. As President Barack Obama noted today, the legislative efforts in Arizona threaten to “undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe.”
Our nation’s history is marked by poor policy decisions that were made under political pressure, but which were eventually corrected. Arizona’s action now makes it clearer that Congress needs to enact federal comprehensive immigration reform that is fair, responsible, and holds people accountable. It is the federal government’s responsibility to carry out immigration law enforcement—the job does not belong to the states—and Congress is obligated to lead.
The time to repair the immigration system is now, before mavericks in other states try to take the law into their own hands."
CAP also released “Fast Facts on Arizona’s Immigration Crack Down” detailing the dangerous social, legal, and economic consequences that Arizona’s new immigration law will have on every community in the state.
Additional Resources:
Angela M. Kelley is available for comment. To speak with her please contact Raúl Arce-Contreras at 202.478.5318 or [email protected].
Para los medios interesados en entrevistas en español, Vanessa Cárdenas, Directora de Progress 2050, está disponible para dar entrevistas sobre este tema.
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