SOCIAL ETHICS NEWS
JANUARY 21, 2014
Arizona SB 1070 Successful Yet Controversial Four Years Later It has been four years since State Bi! 1070 was passed in Arizona concerning Immigration Project by: Alejandro Anderson
State Bill 1070 is a “secondary enforcement” law, which is a law that is normally only enforced when a primary enforcement law, such as speeding, has been broken. January 21, 2014 – It has been nearly four years since Arizona enacted State Bill 1070, the immigration law that is helping to remove illegal immigrants from the United States. The bill was signed by Governor Jan Brewer in April of 2010 and went into effect immediately. According to estimates conducted by the federal government, Arizona had one of the fastest increasing illegal immigrant populations in the U.S. In 2000 it was 330,000 and by 2008 it was 560,000. Arizona was the location for around one third of the illegal border crossings. The state had become a key route in human and drug trafficking. The new law has helped to decrease these statistics by providing authorities the proper authority needed to catch and detain illegal aliens. SB 1070 is a “secondary enforcement” law, which is a law that is normally only enforced when a primary enforcement law has been broken, such as speeding.
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$ Despite the law’s effectiveness over the last four years, some misunderstandings about it still persist. One of them is that the law allows police officers to pull drivers over to check their immigration status. This is not true. A person’s immigration status may only be questioned during “lawful stop, detention or arrest made by a law enforcement official or a law enforcement agency . . . in the enforcement of any other law or ordinance . . .” SB 1070. For example, if an individual is caught stealing, trespassing, or speeding, an officer can then request to see their legal papers if that officer has reasonable suspicion that the individual is here illegally. Some people also mistakenly believe that SB 1070 allows for racial profiling, when in fact it is prohibited. Authorities "may not consider race, color or national origin in implementing the requirements of this subsection except to the extent permitted by the United States or Arizona Constitution." SB 1070. This is a beneficial law that will help remove illegal aliens from this country in a fair and just way.
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SOCIAL ETHICS NEWS
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SB 1070 also strengthened penalties for hiring, sheltering, and transporting illegal immigrants. This has helped decrease the number of people who make it easier for illegal immigrants to find jobs and homes here. Many
! Many protests have taken place since SB 1070 was passed. People claim that the law promotes racism against Hispanics. Governor Jan Brewer has said that racial profiling would not be tolerated and stated, “We have to trust
Hispanic Americans and other Americans have seen this law as being “unconstitutional” because the law condones injustice, but this law has been helping reduce drug
our law enforcement.” In fact, SB 1070 has resulted in selfdeportations. Illegal immigrants have decided to
trafficking and local crime. This law has been providing people with more secure and safer neighborhoods. Decreasing the human trafficking in our country is beneficial to
leave the country voluntarily. Between 100,000 and 200,000 illegal immigrants have left since the law was
the people trying to enter the country illegally by protecting them from being enslaved by the people who smuggle them across the border. Also, by deporting illegal immigrants, more jobs have been available for legal U.S. residents.
passed in 2010. SB 1070 is still a highly controversial law, but it has been proven to help decrease crime rates and remove illegal aliens from the state.
Other States Following Arizona’s SB 1070 Jan Brewer states that the law “represents another tool for our state to use as we work to solve a crisis we did not create and the federal government has refused to fix.” Arizona has set an example that other states are now following. Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina, and Utah, have all passed similar laws to Arizona SB 1070 with the intention of decreasing the amount of violence and crime associated with illegal immigrants in their states as well. Perhaps with time, the federal government will play a bigger role in solving the issue of widespread illegal immigration. !
Above, five states have passed similar laws to Arizona’s SB 1070. Will more follow?
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SOCIAL ETHICS NEWS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, $ Dear Editor, I am an American citizen of Latino descent and do not find that SB 1070 is an ethical or constitutional law. This law promotes racial profiling, even though the government claims otherwise. It justifies the targeting of minority groups by the white majority in Arizona. Being forced to provide proper documentation based upon skin color is a clear example of racism. Furthermore, according to the government, merely having a foreign accent is a “reasonable suspicion” that would justify a police officer demanding to see a person’s legal documents. Even though police officers need a “legitimate” reason for asking to see a person’s legal papers, it is obvious that they will not be demanding these papers from any Caucasian who is pulled over for speeding on the highway. The primary purpose of the law is to catch illegal immigrants in Arizona. However, police officers have been focusing their attention on only Hispanics. A “just” reason for demanding a Hispanic to provide his or her papers, according to a white police officer, may include simply having a Mexican flag on his or her car. Prejudices, such as racism and discrimination are tools used by dominant groups to maintain power. $ SB 1070 is a clear example of structural discrimination, because it is a law that was formulated by a dominant institution (the government) and is targeted towards minorities (the Hispanic population in Arizona).
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JANUARY 21, 2014 him whenever he leaves his home. It is clear than an officer who is prejudiced against Hispanics will go out of his way to find fault with them just so that he can “make sure” that a Latino individual is legally here.
The government claims that the law is race-neutral, but it is actually fueling racism in our state. The problem is that the majority of illegal immigrants in Arizona are of Latino background. Because the government is giving a green flag for law enforcement officials to treat Hispanics with suspicion, individual discrimination against Hispanics is also increasing. Stereotypes are being used to justify the actions taken against members of the Hispanic community. Recently, my friend was sitting in his parked car responding to a text message when a police officer drove up and asked for his papers. (My friend by the way was born and raised in Arizona and is half Latino and half Chinese) The police officer came back to him and said that everything checked out. My friend was confused because he had not been pulled over and had done nothing illegal. He asked the officer if he had asked for his papers because he looked suspicious. The officer promptly responded, “Yeah, but you’re free to go now.” Since then, my friend has been stopped two other times, and now carries his passport with
$ I understand stand that biases and stereotypes are present throughout society. However, by formulating a law that allows for racial profiling to exist within the court system and the police force, the state justifies the unfair prejudices and stereotypes that already exist and mistreatment of minority groups. This is a clear example of institutional socialization. The legal system is forcing people to refuse to help fellow human beings in need because of the risk of getting in trouble for helping illegal immigrants. Many of these people came to this country to work and earn some money to help their families back in Mexico. There is an atmosphere of fear among the Hispanic community. Even legal immigrants are terrified of having their citizenship revoked. People are afraid of harsh penalties for helping their own family members or for simply being compassionate for other unfortunate people. A law that diminishes compassion and even prohibits its citizens from helping others in need is immoral and detrimental to society. $ $ Because of SB 1070 is encouraging prejudice and racism, xenophobia, or the fear and/or hatred of strangers or foreigners, is being encouraged as well. Many Caucasian people have been mistreating Latinos because of
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SOCIAL ETHICS NEWS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (PART 2) their fears of people who are “different” from themselves. In SB 1070, a justifiable reason to demand citizenship papers from an individual may be because he or she cannot speak English that well. My grandmother is a legal immigrant from Peru, and she knows very little English. According to this law, she may be taken to jail for questioning if she is pulled over for a minor traffic violation! There are many Hispanic families like mine who have been living in Arizona for many generations. We are proud American citizens who pay our taxes and serve our country during war times, but now face the humiliating prospect of having our “immigration status” questioned just because some people are afraid of people who don’t look or sound the same as themselves.
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U.S. citizen who is Hispanic and does not have a lot of money can essentially be taken to jail for questioning if he appears to be poor and in need of money. Also, that sad fact is that many homeless people have lost most, if not all, of their possessions. How can a person in such unfortunate circumstances be expected to produce legal paperwork proving their right to
that SB 1070 is unjust and move to have it repealed. My Hispanic friends and I have decided to follow Rosa Parks’ example and refuse to comply with this discriminatory law. We are not carrying any proof of our citizenship with us; however, we will be carrying our cell phones for recording any encounters we have with the authorities. We won’t break any other laws (we never have), but if the police target us, we plan to press charges and are prepared to take our case to the Supreme Court. I ask that all Arizonans who witness or experience racial targeting as a result of SB 1070 to document the event and contact us. If you aren’t be in this country? Are we going Hispanic, but disagree with SB 1070 as well, please put a to deport them as punishment for being poor? Can it be seen as Mexican flag magnet on your car a violation of religious freedom if as a small method of helping is to discourage the police from churches that provide food, shelter and other help to people targeting us. who may or may not be illegal Sincerely, immigrants are then punished Mr. Miguel Francisco for doing what is morally right? Will we see priests and ministers in prison for following the teachings of their faith?
# Since SB 1070 was enacted, exactly how many Caucasians have had their citizenship status questioned in Arizona? I’ll bet the answer is # Classism, or prejudices none. And if that is indeed the and discrimination based upon socio-economical level or class, is case, then racial/ethnic profiling is definitely taking place. There also fueled by this law. Many illegal immigrants come into the are other ways to catch illegal immigrants that do not involve country with little or no money mistreating legitimate U.S. and usually appear to be dirty and poor. According to the law, a citizens who are of Latino background. The point I am person who appears to look trying to convey is that the good “suspicious” can be asked to people in Arizona need to realize show their paperwork. A legal
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SOCIAL ETHICS NEWS
JANUARY 21, 2014
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (PART 3) Dear Editor, Hooray for SB 1070! I am the owner and manager of an
Charts of the Week This week’s charts deal with Arizona’s SB 1070.
apartment complex here in Phoenix. Over the last ten years or so, the ethnic makeup of my renters has changed radically, with more and more Mexicans moving in. At the same time, the crime rate in the complex has also gone up, and I was pretty sure that the two things were related. Of course, racial and ethnic discrimination is illegal in the housing industry, so I could do nothing about it. But when SB 1070 was passed, I finally had legal grounds for confronting my Mexican tenants. I went around to every one of their apartments and demanded proof of their citizenship. Some showed me their driver’s (Data from America’s Voice) licenses, but I know how easily those can be forged, so I said that wasn’t good enough. I asked for birth certificates or naturalization papers. Not everyone could produce adequate proof (a lot of them couldn’t even speak English!), so I evicted most of them. Some of them cursed at me in Spanish as they left, which just goes to show what kind of people they really were. Now my apartment complex is filled with real U.S. citizens, and I am sure that the crime rate is going to drop soon. Thank you, Governor Brewer, for looking out for us! Sincerely, Joe White
To the right, supports of SB 1070 gathering to show their approval of Arizona’s State Bill 1070. More Arizonan’s support the law than disapprove.
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SOCIAL ETHICS NEWS
JANUARY 21, 2014
Bibliography http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf (SB 1070 Bill) http://www.azgovernor.gov/documents/BorderSecurity/SB1070MythsandFacts.pdf (Myths about SB 1070) "Is Arizona's SB 1070 Immigration Law Constitutional?" US News. U.S.News & World Report, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2014. <http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-arizonas-sb-1070-immigration-law-constitutional>. Lach, Alex. "The Top 5 Reasons Why S.B. 1070 Damages America." Americanprogress.org. Center for American Progress, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2014. <http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/ 2012/06/25/11785/the-top-5-reasons-why-s-b-1070-damages-america/>. Archibold, Randal C. "Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration." The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 Apr. 2010. Web. 18 Jan. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/us/politics/ 24immig.html?_r=1&>. Morse, Ann. "Arizona's Immigration Enforcement Laws." National Conference of State Legislatures. NCSL.org, 28 July 2011. Web. 19 Jan. 2014. <http://www.ncsl.org/research/immigration/analysis-ofarizonas-immigration-law.aspx>. Starr, Penny. "SB 1070 Author: Law Has Already Led to Thousands of Self-Deportations, Lower Crime Rates, 13 School Closings." Cnsnews.com. Cnsnews, 24 Apr. 2012. Web. 19 Jan. 2014. <http:// cnsnews.com/news/article/sb-1070-author-law-has-already-led-thousands-selfdeportations-lower-crime-rates-13>. "State Anti-Immigrant Laws." American Civil Liberties Union. ACLU, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2014. <https:// www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/state-anti-immigrant-laws>. "I Look Suspicious." American Civil Liberties Union. ACLU, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2014. <https:// www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/sb-1070-i-look-suspicious>. http://4vector.com/free-vector/jp-draws-us-flag-clip-art-112054 (USA Flag) http://www.50states.com/flag/azflag.htm (Arizona Flag) http://media.namx.org/images/editorial/2010/07/0722/v_fernandez_az/v_fernandez_az_500x279.jpg (Woman with scale) https://d320ze5h7gg57a.cloudfront.net/files/images/immigrants/sb1070_infog_300.jpg (States under AZ laws) http://media.namx.org/images/editorial/2012/06/0614/v_fernandez_sb1070supremecourt/v_fernandez_sb1070supremecourt_500x279.jpg (Gavel with American flag) http://www.addmorejuice.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/juan_luis_garcia.png (Do I look â&#x20AC;&#x153;illegalâ&#x20AC;?) http://colorlines.com/assets_c/2012/04/sb1070_scotus_042712-thumb-640xauto-5922.jpg (No SB 1070) http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mamt65i1cS1qaz9lto1_1280.jpg (Car with writing on rear window) http://colorlines.com/assets_c/2012/06/sb_1070_2b-thumb-640xauto-6311.jpg (Supports of SB 1070) http://opportunityagenda.org/files/images/amvoicepoll_0.jpg (Immigration law approval chart) http://learningspanishlikecrazy.com/images/begger.jpg (Homeless person) http://jdsmonla.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/arizona-graph.gif (Arizona pie chart for support of SB 1070)
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