SB 1070

Governor Janet Brewer signed SB 1070 on 24 April of this year. This bill requires all immigrants to carry their legal immigration paperwork with them should law enforcement officials request them during a traffic stop. This bill also makes it illegal for an illegal immigrant to solicit work or accept work without proper documentation. It is now also illegal for employers to knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

The 17-page bill is pretty clear about what is expected of illegal immigrants. The underlying focus is to permit law enforcement officials to have more leeway in apprehending illegals in this state, to crack down on the growing human and drug smuggling along the border and to stem the flow of illegals coming here.

I support the Governor on SB1070. She's had more balls to push this one through legislation than any other recent Arizona politician.

And yet she and the state are now seen as the bad guys. People who don't live here near the border don't realize why so many Arizonans are in favor of this bill. It is not about Mexicans, it's about ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

All laws are subject to abuse. My history instructor, a self-proclaimed Radical, claims this SB1070 violates the 4th Amendment (search and seizures). So asking people for proper identification is now against the constitution? When I get pulled over for a traffic violation I'm expected to hand over my driver's license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance. Those three pieces of paper are not an inconvenience for me to carry (They are only an inconvenience for me to FIND in the cars!)

Illegals are arrested here in this border county on a daily basis. People die in the desert crossing illegally, especially now that we're in a heatwave. Drugs and weapons are always getting found, felons and fugitives and prior sex offenders are picked up every day crossing into the United States. They are coming here illegally with illegal intentions.

Yet the entire county is rising up against Arizona.

Here is why I support SB1070. In just a few days the following events have occurred within 100 miles from my town:

A speeding pick-up north of Benson overturns, killing one pregnant illegal immigrant. Most of the 12 passengers of that pick-up fled from the scene and have not been found yet.
http://www.kvoa.com/news/update-deadly-accident-north-of-benson-involving-suspected-illegal-immigrants/

A Pakistani was picked up earlier today trying to enter the US from Mexico.
http://www.kvoa.com/news/pakistani-citizen-caught-crossing-border-into-arizona/

Interstate 19 north of Nogales, a major bordertown, is currently closed because of a major bomb scare.

http://www.kvoa.com/news/part-of-interstate-19-closed-is-closed-indefinitely-bomb-technicians-called/

Opponents to SB1070 say this bill will cause racial profiling, meaning that all Hispanics will be suspect illegal immigrants. As in any law, there is always a possibility of abuse, but with the many Hispanic law enforcement officials we have in this state, how likely is that? There are also laws that profile criminal behavior, and that is for a reason. A person, not just an Hispanic, who comes here with the intent of doing harm, will act suspiciously if s/he knows s/he's being watched.

California businesses are now boycotting this state. Other businesses are pulling out of contracts. Los Lobos, a Chicano rock-blues group from East Los Angeles, cancelled their performance in Phoenix over the SB1070 passage. Everyone is saying SB1070 is against immigrants. It's not. It's against ILLEGAL immigrants. The heated debates just go to show how ingrained illegal workers are (and have been) in this country.

Most of the agricultural workers, hotel workers and restaurant workers are Mexicans who are illegally here. They are here illegally because the current laws to get legal working status is cumbersome, expensive and slow. Corporate farms, hotels and restaurants want these illegal workers because they can be easily manipulated and many feel don't need to be paid as much as a legal resident. When they get injured at work they often don't have decent health treatment and pay expensive (or none at all) medical bills. The tab for all this then gets passed down to those who are here legally. Businesses want illegals because they are cheaper.

President Obama and Governor Brewer met briefly yesterday to discuss border security and SB1070. Not much has been revealed in the media about any resolution. Both are on opposite ends of the bill.

Arizonans need answers. They need solutions. The constitution guarantees the security of our borders and to "repel invasions." Arizona is being invaded. It's being invaded by drug runners, human smugglers and people meaning to do harm. SB1070 will hopefully stem this tied of violence. Hopefully not too many innocent people will be harrassed by this law. It doesn't even go into effect until July.