Marco Rubio says Arizona immigration law could ‘unreasonably single out people’
On Tuesday, Republican candidate for governor Nathan Deal declared he would implement Arizona-style immigration laws in Georgia.
But signs that all Republicans aren’t on board are popping up. This from Politico.com:
Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio said in a statement Tuesday that he fears the law puts the Arizona’s police force in an “incredibly difficult position.”
“It could also unreasonably single out people who are here legally, including many American citizens,” Rubio said.
“Throughout American history and throughout this administration we have seen that when government is given an inch it takes a mile.”
Rubio criticism was quickly followed up by a fellow Floridian, former Gov. Jeb Bush. In an interview … Bush said the law is not “the proper approach.”
“I think it creates unintended consequences,” he said. “It’s difficult for me to imagine how you’re going to enforce this law. It places a significant burden on local law enforcement and you have civil liberties issues that are significant as well.”
For instant updates, follow me on Twitter.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
79 comments Add your comment
North Georgian
April 28th, 2010
11:10 am
Goes to show Nathan Deal will jump on any band wagon he can find without thinking first. This law is even dividing the Republicans. Businesses and tourists are starting to boycott Arizona. We don’t need that in Georgia.
Independent Dawg
April 28th, 2010
11:14 am
I’m all for immigration reform, but I have to agree with Jeb and Rubio… this Arizona thing goes way too far. As a long term Georgian, I find myself usually thanking Mississippi and Alabama for making Georgia look good. Today, we have to look at Arizona as the low man on the intellectual totem pole.
The Snark
April 28th, 2010
11:21 am
Regrettably, the resistance within the Republican Party to this awful piece of legislation is not motivated by serious policy concerns or responsible governance. It’s because the Republicans are scared of losing the Latino vote.
Williebkind
April 28th, 2010
11:28 am
We have laws already that could potentially single out minorities. However, when it happens and it is known the system corrects the measure and punishes the ones who did it. The republicans rather have law of the land than latino votes. Stop pointing your fingers at the republicans when you are really talking about the democrats. Should I remind you of Obama last speech pleading for minority voting. Yes I am for Arizona like laws. If the federal government can not protect me then I look toward the state–not the political parties.
Williebkind
April 28th, 2010
11:33 am
Marko Rubio, Jeb Bush, and others have had their chance to correct the problem. They did not! So they should keep their mouth shut until they see a problem. Then discuss it for two terms and then do nothing.
Norbert
April 28th, 2010
11:37 am
with Gov. Crist in Florida deciding to run as an independent it didn’t take “arch conservative” Rubio to start heading for the center, did it?
border
April 28th, 2010
12:03 pm
What AZ want is for the Feds to secure the border. Once our border is secure then we can talk immigration policy. Simple solution is for the police to always ask a persons citizenship status if that person is being stopped for any offense or possible crime. White, black, brown, etc…. ID please, are you a legal resident/citizen of the US, is there an arrest warrant for you; just standard type questions. Remember in the constitution there is the 5th amendment and the person does not have to answer any questions without a lawyer being present. We do need immigration reform, but one that is fair; they just want to live the American dream like our ancestors did when they came here.
cs
April 28th, 2010
12:29 pm
Thank God Arizona has some balls. Most here in Ga a nutless.
deegee
April 28th, 2010
12:46 pm
Nathan Deal is the 21st century George Wallace. He’s a single issue candidate. He will generate some interest among the mountain people of north Georgia. They seem to like the concept of ethnic cleansing. First it was the Cherokee in 1838. Then in 1912 the rape of a young white woman by three African American males sparked a campaign among the white population to rid Forsyth County of all African Americans. For almost a month, gangs of night riders harassed and intimidated the black population into moving out of the county. While it is unknown how many African Americans moved as a direct result of the purge, by 1930 only 17 blacks resided in Forsyth County compared with almost 1,100 in 1910.
jconservative
April 28th, 2010
12:48 pm
If Arizona wants to get a handle on illegals in the state they need to lock up in jail every employer who hires an illegal. This law solves nothing. Locking up employers would solve a lot.
Venkat
April 28th, 2010
1:24 pm
It is impossible for the local police to confirm the legality because the immigration law is so complex. As a naturalized citizen what proof do I need to carry? There are many cases where a person is fully legal even if his visa has expired or his I-94 has expired or has a change/renewal of visas pending. The law keeps them in legal status if their application is pending. And depending upon the type of application, it could take several years. Do those person need to carry their passports, and other A4 sized immigration documents even if they have to go to grocery store to buy milk.
John
April 28th, 2010
1:26 pm
Jconservative is right. Lock up anyone that hires them.
MiltonMan
April 28th, 2010
1:28 pm
Why don’t all of you anti-Arizona law folks, send an email to the family of the Arizona rancher that was murdered by an illegal as hating this law that enforces the current law?
Boots
April 28th, 2010
1:31 pm
Nathan Deal left DC just before ethics charges were coming down and now he wants to bring his pandering idiosy to the state house of Georgia.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!
Go back to your junkyard.
Manny
April 28th, 2010
1:32 pm
This law in Arizona is stupid, reactionary and not well thought through. In a recession and as bad as the economy is in Arizona, no one thought how this would hurt the economy there in terms of tourism and potential employers? Are they even trying to get companies to locate their headquarters or businesses there?
This could actually be a unifying event. Both Democrats and Republicans can tell you that if you prosecute the employers, it will greatly reduce the illegal immigration problem. But racism truly lives because the employers will also includes a great deal of caucasians.
HDB
April 28th, 2010
1:47 pm
Here’s another key issue that no one will address: (from the Arizona Republic):
The bill states that an Arizona driver’s license is sufficient to prove citizenship; licenses from other states, however, may not be sufficient because some states do not require proof of citizenship to get a license, as Arizona does.
“That means that anyone who drives in the city of Phoenix and gets pulled over better have a passport or a visa.”
Here’s a constitutional issue – full faith and protection!! How is this satisfied???
HDB
April 28th, 2010
1:49 pm
Manny
April 28th, 2010
1:32 pm
This law in Arizona is stupid, reactionary and not well thought through. In a recession and as bad as the economy is in Arizona, no one thought how this would hurt the economy there in terms of tourism and potential employers? Are they even trying to get companies to locate their headquarters or businesses there?
Manny, according to the Arizona Republic, it is ALREADY having an effect on the state’s economy. Hotel bookings are already dropping, California is beginning to sever business ties, boycotts are forming……and state revenues are falling because not only undocumenteds but LEGAL documented and American-born Latinos are leaving Arizona due to racial hostility and profiling!!
deegee
April 28th, 2010
1:50 pm
According to the Arizona cop that appeared on a TV interview this week, if he pulls over a driver that can’t produce a US driver’s license then that is probable cause to question the driver’s immigration status. He said that he is not in the habit of picking on people. We’ll see.
Venkat
April 28th, 2010
1:57 pm
HDB,
What if the person is a naturalized citizen and does not have a US passport and does not look American (I mean Caucasian) ? What proof can that person show?
Native Georgian
April 28th, 2010
2:01 pm
Enter your comments here
lmno
April 28th, 2010
2:04 pm
If we made it easy and fast for people to immigrate here legally, they would. If it took 10 days instead of years to be approved, they would come that way. They would pay taxes. They would contribute.
Give them a fast, easy, and effective path to coem here and work and all of your illegal problems disappear.
Native Georgian
April 28th, 2010
2:08 pm
This country is going to hell in a hurry thanks to the Democrats. Only in America can illegal aliens have more rights than citizens. Illegal Aliens don’t have to show I.D when they vote or when they are stopped by police. Illegals get paid in cash and don’t have to pay taxes and get free healthcare. Is this a great county or what. Only in America. Democrats are selling us out and issuing 1 million visas a year while Americans look for work. English will be our second language by 2050 thanks to the radical policies of Obama/Reid and Pelosi.
Ed
April 28th, 2010
2:23 pm
@NativeGeorgian–
just out of curiousity are you Creek, Cherokee, or some other native ethnicity?
deegee
April 28th, 2010
2:23 pm
Native Georgian, you are so wrong on so many levels. If illegal immigrants could vote they would have to show the same ID that citizens show. They may or may not be paid in cash, many work under false SS numbers and pay SS and Medicare taxes. Illegal immigrants are treated in emergency rooms but do not get free care unless they choose not to pay the bill. They do not get free non-emergency care in public clinics. They have to pay if they cannot show legal status. They do not have more rights or privileges than you do. If you work and don’t get paid you have a recourse, they don’t.
Tiger Woods + Jesse James = SuperBAD meets SuperEVIL in "SuperUGLY"
April 28th, 2010
2:30 pm
Venkat
April 28th, 2010
1:24 pm
“It is impossible for the local police to confirm the legality because the immigration law is so complex. As a naturalized citizen what proof do I need to carry? There are many cases where a person is fully legal even if his visa has expired or his I-94 has expired or has a change/renewal of visas pending. The law keeps them in legal status if their application is pending. And depending upon the type of application, it could take several years. Do those person need to carry their passports, and other A4 sized immigration documents even if they have to go to grocery store to buy milk.”
Venkat, yes those persons DO need to carry those documents if they do not want to be detained until the authorities can figure who they are. The new Arizona law explicitly states that legal immigrants need to have documentation on them at all times to prove that they are in the country legally on they will be arrested, detained and possibly turned over to federal immigration authorities.
Native Georgian
April 28th, 2010
2:32 pm
I am Cherokee and Proud!
Bill
April 28th, 2010
2:33 pm
As deegee noted, Many if not most illegals use false SS and pay into both SS and medicare. But… they do not receive benefits from these programs.
I agree with others that employment is probably where we could control the problem. We should have easy processes for checking, and significant penalties for hiring illegals. Jail time for employers may seem attractive, but it is not practical.
Bill
April 28th, 2010
2:35 pm
Reminds me of the move “Born in East L.A.”, where Cheech Marin is picked up and deported to Mexico, and has a difficult time getting back to Los Angeles where he was born. Except that was funny.
Venkat
April 28th, 2010
2:41 pm
Tiger Woods,
As I said it is impossible for the local police to become immigration lawyers. There are so many aspects of immigration law where a person is legal without having to show papers to substantiate his claims. There are so many visa types with so many rules, that a local police officer might not even been aware of.
For example there is Work Visa type which allows a foreigner to work for 3 years. That person can renew for 3 more years. The renewal application form needs to mailed before the first visa expires. Just by applying for renewal, that person is in legal status for 240 more days. USCIS takes upto 2-4 weeks to send receipt of receiving the renewal applications. What if the person is detained by police and even USCIS has not yet entered the application in their computer system? He has to be detained for several weeks before his legal status is reflected and he is let go?
Even USCIS officers get it wrong time to time and the court reverses their decisions.
Juan McMexican
April 28th, 2010
2:50 pm
The money AZ loses from this law will easily be recaptured by not paying for illegal’s healthcare, welfare, and multiple children.
deegee
April 28th, 2010
2:57 pm
Venkat, you are wasting your time and electrons. Most Americans cannot distinguish between temporary legal residency, permanent legal residency and citizenry. If you think that they can grasp the concept of immigrant work visas then you are really giving them more credit than is due.
Tanned Dawg
April 28th, 2010
3:27 pm
With the summer almost here, I usually hang out at the lake and get a good tan. Not this year though! I have to go to Arizona for a work trip (unless it gets canceled b/c of the upcoming Az boycotts). With my tan, I could be mistaken for a non-American. Since they won’t recognize my Georgia license, I reckon I better get a passport. How ironic it that? I need a US Passport to visit Arizona.
Tiger Woods + Jesse James = SuperBAD meets SuperEVIL in "SuperUGLY"
April 28th, 2010
3:29 pm
Venkat, April 28th, 2010, 2:41 pm-
I don’t think that the people who wrote this new immigration law in Arizona really care about the differences between legal residency, permanent legal residency and citizenship or the settle complexities of the different types of documentation required or not required under Federal Immigration Law. The new law in Arizona was pretty much written by a political and social faction in that state that wants ALL illegal immigrants and, for that matter, just about all legal immigrants and even many U.S. Citizens of a non-Caucasian skin tone gone from the state of Arizona as soon as possible. I don’t think they cared how with how much finesse and legality it is done, just as long as it is done now. And the recent killing of a Caucasian rancher by a violent drug cartel-connected illegal alien inflamed enough long-simmering anti-illegal immgration anger and emotion amongst whites of all backgrounds in Arizona to get this flawed bill passed and signed into law.
GA GUY
April 28th, 2010
3:45 pm
MiltonMan, I would be happy to email the family of of the rancher who was killed. Will you email all the families of legal immigrants who have also been killed by whites? Typical ignorant person to pull one example out of the pile and use it to defend crazy decisions. Regardlesss of your position on immigration, that is a federal issue and states coming up with a patchwork of laws isn’t going to solve any problems. I agree the best way to stop illegal immigration is to significantly fine anyone business that hires undocumented workers. However, it’s more politically appealing to go after the workers instead of the businesses that fund your campaigns. Look at our own Senator Chamblis who weighed in in support of South Georgia Farmers who hire undocumented workers while positioning himself as someone against illegal immigration. When his constituents at the time complained of stronger INS tactics, he stepped up for them.
deegee
April 28th, 2010
3:45 pm
Over the last 10 years it is estimated that around 2,000 people have died while trying to cross the border into the U.S. A total of 86 migrant bodies have been found in the desert between October 1st and February 28th of this year. It was unusually cold and rainy in the Southwest. The value of a human life is low when the dead are brown people seeking work in the U.S.
Bo Duke
April 28th, 2010
3:52 pm
This reminds me of a tale my Uncle Jessie told bout Roman Empire. It seems that while the Romans was off fightin useless wars all over the old world they didn’t have nobody left to look out fer their own borders. Thousands and thousands of foreigners flocked across Danube River and caused lots a trouble fer the Romans who couldn’t get them to adopt their ways. Fore too long they was broke and exhausted and their empire broke down and split up. Anything hyar sound similar to today. Uncle Jessie say the thing to learn is that, Them folks what knows no history is doomed to repeat it.
Venkat
April 28th, 2010
4:13 pm
Tiger Woods,
This is the reason all immigrants (legal or not) are calling this law racial and accordingly it should be tagged unconstitutional.
I am against illegal immigration, but this law can be used to harass legal residents.
Generally I believe that Americans are hypocrites on the issue of illegal immigration. On one hand they cry and shout about it and the same Americans hires them to do jobs.
If nobody hires them, why would they be here? I have seen so many TV interviews where Caucasian restaurant owners knowingly hire illegal workers. Why this hypocrisy?
Lpngleo
April 28th, 2010
4:22 pm
Rubio had so much potential and now it is all gone. I am Hispanic and totally, totally disagree with Rubio’s stand on the Arizona law.
Take a look at the federal law, put it side by side with the new Arizona law, and they read the same!!!
As an American citizen, if you travel to Europe you must keep your papers with you at all times.
If you are stopped by law enforcement personnel in the US you must produce your papers!!
When the new Obama-care law is put into law, we will, in effect, be required to show our papers; i.e., the IRS will check to see if we have health insurance papers.
Rubio’s credibility is gone regarding illegal immigration. Now I know why immigration reform has been so problematic, it’s largely because politicians frame it in terms of their own political survival rather than in terms of the best possible solutions to benefit ALL citizens of the US, not just those who will vote for Rubio.
In that sense, no matter what the Tea Partiers say or think about a favorite son in any particular voting district, it’s rare when anyone aspiring to political office isn’t either protecting or advancing his or her own self-interest.
Tiger Woods + Jesse James = SuperBAD meets SuperEVIL in "SuperUGLY"
April 28th, 2010
4:23 pm
Venkat
April 28th, 2010
4:13 pm
Tiger Woods,
“This is the reason all immigrants (legal or not) are calling this law racial and accordingly it should be tagged unconstitutional.
I am against illegal immigration, but this law can be used to harass legal residents.”
Venkat, I think that’s the whole idea of this law.
First Name
April 28th, 2010
4:50 pm
How hard would it be for the States to issue an ID for people indicating their immigration status? Why can’t immigration status be input on someone’s driver’s license or ID card for example? That would keep in line with the 4th amendment while making it easier for the Police to identify illegals from legals? I would gladly carry an immigration-status ID card in my wallet and dont understand why that would not be an easy fix to this problem. The fact is, many people who are here legally have family members who are here illegally and that’s why they are claiming Constitutional violations. Correct me if I am wrong but the Constitution applies to citizens and others in the Country legally, not illegal immigrants.
Tiger Woods + Jesse James = SuperBAD meets SuperEVIL in "SuperUGLY"
April 28th, 2010
4:58 pm
Lpngleo
April 28th, 2010
4:22 pm
“Rubio’s credibility is gone regarding illegal immigration. Now I know why immigration reform has been so problematic, it’s largely because politicians frame it in terms of their own political survival rather than in terms of the best possible solutions to benefit ALL citizens of the US, not just those who will vote for Rubio.”
“In that sense, no matter what the Tea Partiers say or think about a favorite son in any particular voting district, it’s rare when anyone aspiring to political office isn’t either protecting or advancing his or her own self-interest.”
Lpngleo, of course its about political survival and protecting and advancing his of her own self-interest, it’s POLITICS! Any individual person or entity that engages in the political game does so to advance their own personal goals of gaining as much power and money as they can because they are only human and that’s what people do. Does anybody honestly think that either political party is just going to hand-off or forfeit the kind of political power and money that comes with having a long-term dependable voting block in as fast of a growing and potentially dominant demographic as the Hispanic population in the United States?
Before the blow-up in the Republican Party over immigration reform in 2007, George W. Bush and Karl Rove had a long-term strategy to cement a permanent Republican majority in American politics that was based on securing the Hispanic population as a dependable voting block for the GOP. This is evidenced as Bush would speak in Spanish at many campaign stops and appearances as a way to literally speak in code to a population of voters that Bush and Rove knew that they had to have to win in close elections. The strategy worked well as Bush won 40% of the Hispanic vote in 2000 and 44% of the Hispanic vote in 2004.
No matter what the laws on the books say or the legality or illegality of immigration trends or how much unchecked immigration tips the scales of the ethnic makeup of the country or what not, if the GOP doesn’t get the Hispanic vote locked up long term, they won’t win elections. The Democrats, who are more than willing to issue complete unconditional amnesty (because it means lots more votes to them) and are much more lax on immigration policy than Republicans, would gladly accept the Hispanics as a very dependable and DOMINANT voting block and runaway with national elections in the long-term relegating the GOP to being a regional party that can only eke out state and local election victories in mainly the South, Midwest and some parts of the West. With the growing Hispanic demographic, even that may be in doubt in the not-too-distant future if some elements of the GOP continue to be openly hostile towards the Latinos (just look no further than increasingly Latino-dominated Gwinnett County as a local example in Georgia).
To those immigration enforcement advocates that think that the Republicans are betraying them by advocating some kind of modest immigration reform, you only will get worse if the entire Hispanic voting block migrates over to the Democrat Party and stays there permanently. Just wait and see what kind of “immigration reform” you will get when Obama wins re-election off the strength of a sizable Hispanic turnout and the Dems decide to pass amnesty to get the votes!
Buckhead Writer
April 28th, 2010
5:08 pm
Never thought I’d says this, but go, Jeb go!!!
Bill
April 28th, 2010
5:16 pm
First Name,
If you read the fourth and fourteenth amendments, they refer to “persons”, not citizens.
Bill
April 28th, 2010
5:24 pm
There are about 10 million illegal immigrants in this country. About half, or a little more are Hispanic. Of course, we need to figure out how to control our borders. But a real bone of contention is what do we do with the 10 mil who are here. One group cries that we must gather them all up and deport them. Anything short of that is amnesty. (makes amnesty sound like a bad word, but it is actually a pretty nice word. When God forgives you for your sins: that is amnesty). The cost and the logistics of trying to locate and round up 10 mil people would be absurd. The answer has to be in the middle somewhere. We can never find a solution in the middle if we continue to demonize our opposition. If we do not find a solution in the middle, we will not find a solution. If we do not find a solution, then things will continue like they are.
R.J. Intindola
April 28th, 2010
5:31 pm
I believe the Arizona law goes too far. However, the federal government needs to take some action. Complacency will result in the problem escalating. I read that in Arizona, nearly 25 to 30% of all crime involves illegal immigrants. That’s fairly significant. Check this out.
The Most Corrupt States
http://www.cmrji.com
Bill
April 28th, 2010
5:38 pm
I agree, the federal government needs to act. Under the previous administration, there was considerable effort to find a solution. Bush, McCain, Graham, and others wanted to get this done. However, there was so much screaming about amnesty that they were not able to get anything done. It is not likely that the democrats will fare any better.
elliott
April 28th, 2010
5:48 pm
Im all for arizona’s law..somebody with backbone… Hey I vote repub. but they grew this monstrosity of a federal government too, so just because a republican is against the az law doesn’t mean squat to me..Go AZ
david cole
April 28th, 2010
6:24 pm
This AZ law is stupid and discriminatory. Let’s all remember that this country is an immigrant country. Are we becoming like Cuba? Georgia doesn’t need a law like this. Discrimination is the game here!
Iknowanidiot
April 28th, 2010
6:29 pm
Native Georgian , do you( and your fellow idiots) , BELIEVE NO IILEGALS CAME IN DURING PRINCE GEORGE W’s 8 yr reign????!! , I do not like this country being over run with illegals, BUT do NOT place ALL the blame on Democrats, Republicans have had the Presidency, and control , of Congress, more than Dems, in the past 20 years, and THEY did nada. !! Politicians, like stand up comedians, play to thier audience, if running with a chimp ,would get you elected, they would DO IT , John McCain already tried it.
Not Going To Use My Usual Name
April 28th, 2010
6:52 pm
Look, this is simple. If I’m stopped in Arizona for no reason other than to check my immigration status (I’m a natural-born citizen), according to the fourth amendment, I don’t have to show diddly-squat. All anyone has to do if they are stopped is say “I am a citizen,” and that’s it. No documents needed, which is why this law is so moronic.
You see, the fourth amendment protects people (and Bill makes an excellent point–it says people and not citizens) from unreasonable searches and seizures. Demanding that an American citizen show paperwork proving citizenship is not reasonable; i.e., without cause, Americans can’t be searched in our own country.
So this law is just stupid. Won’t stand up in court, won’t be enforceable, doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t matter if illegal immigration is a problem or not–this is not enforceable because of Constitutional protections.
Jumbo G is the king on conventional thinking
April 28th, 2010
8:09 pm
Ok. First of all the bill reads that if one is able to produce an AZ driver’s license then there will be no need to ask immigration status. I think most cops do that when they pull one over. Secondly, I say Obama and his hangers-in should simply adopt the border restrictions that Mexico imposes on its southern border. All this racism crap is just that, CRAP. You guys that play the race card like Obama attacks capitalism have cheapened the term. Obama and the left need to be honest. They want another underclass, like they have done with other minority communities, that will forever vote Democrat. Obama will require that we show our proof of health insurance (our papers) but not to prove that one is here legally. Hogwash! You libs are tied in knots with your double standards and doubletalk. Horsefeathers! I cannot wait ’til November!!!!!!
Dave
April 28th, 2010
8:35 pm
During World War II my grandparents fled Europe to the United States. I remember that my great grandfather said the greatest day in his life is when he earned the right to be a citizen of this country. They both worked hard, took night classes, learned about our constitution and laws. They worked for it as my Father once told me that his father said ” No one should live in this country on the backs of others.” I hope that my story tell’s you something that to be a citizen has to be worked for but as tax payers we are burden with BILLION of dollars to support people who are to lazy to earned that right,
TW
April 28th, 2010
8:44 pm
“support people who are to lazy to earned that right”
‘lazy’ is the abundant meth head white trash this state is FULL of – especially in Nathan Deal’s North Georgia. Matter of fact, under Nathan’s negligence, NGA has developed as the meth capital of GA. Thanks Nathan!
Seriously though, you have to pay two white guys twice as much to get the same amount of work done as by a single Mexican.
Oh, and they’re also better Christians
Jumbo G is the king on conventional thinking
April 28th, 2010
9:37 pm
TW is a racist. He is playing the race card.
Kirk
April 28th, 2010
9:45 pm
My wife is a Russian citizen. Back in 2006 we had to apply to have her immigration status changed from Conditional Resident to Permanent Resident. Her Green Card was expired, but the USCIS sent her an offical letter that extended her legal status for an additional year while the application was being processed.
We went to our local DMV to renew her Georgia drivers license, and had to come back another time, because the DMV employee was incompetent and did not accept the letter as proof of my wife’s legal status. It seems that our tax dollars often pay for employees who need a government job because they could never make it in the private sector.
I can only imagine the trouble my wife would have had if the police had asked for her papers…
Drew
April 28th, 2010
11:54 pm
This is not about immigrants; it’s about ILLEGAL immigrants. ILLEGAL… as in AGAINST THE LAW. We have laws concerning all this, all we lack is the enforcement, the enforcement that Arizona has decided to take up after decades of dereliction by administrations of BOTH parties. If the feds won’t do it, it’s up to the individual states. Hooray, Arizona.
And Janet Napolitano is an incompetent fool.
junebaby
April 29th, 2010
4:31 am
this immigration law in arizona is a bad law, period. and for people who say they should arrest the employers, this will never happen, as almost all employers are republican voters. they will never harass members of their own party, as many of them all share similar ideals: make as much money as you can, whether it’s illegaly earned or not, use anyone and anyway you can to do this, including misinformation, fraud, thievery, slavery, lying, cheating, and if it comes to it, murder! and this is also done under the protection of the us govermental system, including congress, the courts, and at times the executive branch, all enabled by the willing sheeple being led alond by rings through their noses. this law will never stand, as soon as it starts to affect their pocketbooks, it will be rescinded. is anyone is willing to bet me that it won’t be???? they’ve talked about going after the employers for years and years, and it hasn’t happened yet. republican legislators(especially) will never allow that to happen!
Morrus
April 29th, 2010
8:15 am
Vote out the incumbents and start over
Close Our Borders
April 29th, 2010
8:27 am
It is past time for the States to enforce our Immigration Laws which the Federal Government ignores. Illegal Immigration is illegal and regardless of what is said by the do-gooder Demos, anyone breaking immigration laws should be deported….. immediately. Anyone feeling different sould try and go stay in Mexico illegally and see how fast you are kicked out. Yet Mexico wants the US to stop deporting anyone who is here illegally. And the Obama is Goc followers will not address the issue. Instead they welcome as many illegals into the US as possible so when they make them all legal US citizens with access to all of the Socialist programs the Demos have proved for them, they will automatically vote for the continuation of the Three Stooges Agenda – Obama, Pelosi and Reid.
phantomworks
April 29th, 2010
8:34 am
Der papers please! This law smacks of the Third Reich and the Soviet era.How many LEGAL Immigrants will be stopped before the police finally catch the ILLEGAL ones? Rubio was right Many U.S. citizens will be hurt by this law since at first glance police cannot really tell who is a citizen or not.As for Gov.Brewer assuring us all there will be no racial profiling,perhaps that may be possible if police pull over anyone regardless of race or ethnicity including whites like me! If that unlikely policy were to be adopted,many of those same mostly white supporters would be victims of their own law! Such irony! At least they would be equal opportunity Despots! Those who protest Federal Tyranny but condone State and local tyranny are hypocrites! I Support the border fence,tougher penalties for companies who knowingly hire illegal aliens and even troops at the border.I do not support this sorry excuse of a law that presumes people illegal until proven otherwise.
Joel Six Pack
April 29th, 2010
8:46 am
Hate to keeping beating this horse but practical immigration reform consists of one core issue: creating and enforcing laws which penalize employers for hiring illegal immigrants. We can’t have both cheap immigrant labor and a restrictive immigration policy. If we want to get rid of illegal immigrants, we must get rid of the jobs that attract them here. Otherwise, we should pay your taxes to support education and healthcare for them and their children just like other Americans.
Roy
April 29th, 2010
9:24 am
Uh Oh, this could be trouble for Rubio. I know he needs to pander to the Florida latino vote, but if he gets too outa goosestep with the tea baggers (and they LOVE this new AZ bill) they’ll turn their wrath on him. Remember the nasty stuff they did to Sen Scott Brown??
A Realist
April 29th, 2010
9:47 am
So what if a few people are inconvenienced? If happens every day in Metro Atlanta. Folks, we’ve got a security problem on our southern border that needs to be fixed. If our liberal federal bureaucracy is not willing to tackle the problem then the states should have the right to protect their citizens. These illegals are not coming into the US through the border crossings or else they’d be caught…..they’re coming in through illegal means……they’re criminals….we have the right to arrest illegals because they are criminals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lmno
April 29th, 2010
10:22 am
Make it easy to immigrate here legally, and people will.
Lets see, I hang dry wall for $20 a day here in Mexico. I have 2 children. I can make 5 times the money if I did the same job 50 miles north of here. I would like to do that legally, but they tell me that it will take 10 years to be allowed to do that. By that time, my children will be grown.
What should I do?
MAKE IT EASY AND FAST TO COME HERE LEGALLY!
Chris
April 29th, 2010
10:26 am
I, like most people that would be labeled “liberal” actually support the premise of this law. There needs to be a way to enforce/check immigration/citizenship status. I just don’t think that Arizona’s plan is going to do it. For example – I was born and raised in GA and am ethnically considered “Caucasian.” However, I have a REALLY dark skin complexion and black hair. I often get mistaken for Hispanic – I’ve had people speak Spanish to me before assuming I’m Hispanic. So here’s the problem with this law:
If I visit Arizona there is a pretty good chance that I will be asked to “prove” my status. I don’t have a status – I’m a natural born citizen. When I can’t provide documentation of that, b/c my GA Driver’s License isn’t sufficient and who carries a birth certificate, I’m going to be hauled into jail on family vacation to wait for a court hearing where I have to prove my citizenship.
And what about the folks who are Hispanic who are natural born citizens?!
I think there’s got to be a better enforcement tool than this AZ law. I would support a combination of the following:
1. Stricter enforcement on employers who hire illegals.
2. Automatic checks of citizenship on people who are actually stopped for committing a crime – be it speeding or murder, your name gets run through the system that they already use.
3. Verification of status when registering for schools, renting/purchasing property (including autos and vehicle registration) At least in GA, this often isn’t done.
Venkat
April 29th, 2010
10:42 am
A couple of years back, GA DMV system was not integrated with USCIS and they gave me a one year license even though I was a permanent resident. The new law concerns legal immigrants more than the illegal ones.
The law and the governor might have good intent, but all it takes is good cop on bad day to harass citizens/immigrants who do not look American enough.
As a GA citizen what documents do I need to carry when I want to visit the Grand Canyons? Is my GA license good enough? What about my US born daughter? Do i need to carry her birth certificate?
The law is such that police could stop anywhere, even taking a walk around your community.
Venkat
April 29th, 2010
10:55 am
Another crazy thing happened after I became a citizen recently (naturalized). I took my certificate of naturalization to local SSA office to update my status They said they do not accept the certificate until USCIS informs SSA. They asked me to wait for a few weeks.
So if a certificate issued by USCIS (a federal branch) is not accepted by SSA (another federal branch), think about the various possibilities of things going bad between a USCIS and local police.
The Mrs.
April 29th, 2010
10:57 am
My husband is from West Africa. He been in the country for 8 years and became a US citizen in 2009. The official language in his country is English but he has an accent when he talks. Has an English first name but African last name. It is recommended NOT to carry you Naturalization Certificate with you because #1 it is larger than a letter sized paper, #2 it can take up to a year to replace if lost or damaged.
He wouldn’t have a problem in GA since he has a driver’s license but if we were to go to Arizona to visit friends and were pulled over for a traffic violation in Arizona things could go bad. If the police had a way to check the I.C.E database immediately I wouldn’t be concerned but it doesn’t sound like they have a direct connection to the system.
deegee
April 29th, 2010
11:26 am
I agree with you, Imno. However, if you want to be more accurate in your example, a Mexican drywall hanger would likely be paid the equivalent of $20.00 a week (not a day), or 200 pesos. He could come north and earn around $500.00 a week or 5,000 pesos thereby improving his income 25 times. That’s quite an incentive.
deegee
April 29th, 2010
11:30 am
Additionally, Imno, the 10 year wait for an immigrant visa is for a family visa, not a work visa. You would need a family member who is a citizen or permanent resident to sponsor you. You can’t get an immigrant work visa if you want to hang drywall. The DOL wouldn’t approve your employer’s application.
The Mrs. Should read the bill before commenting.
April 29th, 2010
12:26 pm
Hey, the Mrs. READ THE BILL. If one has a valid driver’s license then the authorities will look no further into immigration status. Nice try , though.
DJ Sniper
April 29th, 2010
12:35 pm
And so it begins……
http://www.azfamily.com/video/featured-videos/Man-says-he-was-racially-targeted-forced-to-provide-birth-certificate-91769419.html
deegee
April 29th, 2010
12:45 pm
Hello READ THE BILL, and what if you have a valid drivers license but your passenger does not? Are the police required to call ICE on them?
jon
April 29th, 2010
6:00 pm
VILLAGROSSA IS ONE BIGOTED MAYOR,AND SO ARE MILLIONS OF LATINO POLITICIANS.
DawgFan
April 29th, 2010
10:52 pm
Whoever wrote that post to the Mrs saying “read the bill” has evidently not read the bill. What an idiot!
drunkinpublic
April 29th, 2010
11:59 pm
arizona is leading the new way,other states should follow their lead.Save america before its to late and impeach our new socailist president and let the do gooders go with him to s.f. c.a. and start their own country there.
The Mrs.
May 1st, 2010
1:27 pm
I have read a lot about the bill. IF YOU HAVE A VALID ARIZONA DRIVER’S LICENSE THEN THERE IS NO ISSUE. However, there would be an issue if you have an out of state driver’s license because each state has a different process. Some states, like Georgia, verify legal status of residents before issuing licenses but some states don’t.
I am for stricter immigration enforcement. My husband went through the proper process so I think that every immigrat should also follow US laws. But the issue I have is that Naturalized citizens could be detained in error.
love my country
May 1st, 2010
3:12 pm
Do they want to be U.S. citizens and loyal to our country or do they just want the benefits of our great country.
Debra
August 12th, 2010
9:17 am
1 in 12 babies born in the U.S. are offspring of illegals…….something needs to be done NOW!! I disagree with both Rubio & Bush on this issue. If the federal govt. won’t enforce the laws, then the states have no choice. Enough already!