SB1070

The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, better known as SB1070, was passed in April 2010 and has caused considerable debate over its implications since day one. For those of you who do not know what this act enforces it is Arizona’s new law that has put a heavy-hand on the anti-illegal immigration action in the U.S. It is already federal law that illegal immigrants register with the U.S. government and are required to have proper documentation in their possession at all times should they be questioned. Arizona’s law is now requiring that police verify every potential illegal immigrant upon containment for a crime and, if found to be in the U.S. illegally, must report them to federal immigration officials. It also makes it a state misdemeanor if a person does not have their proper documents in their possession. One of the biggest arguments Americans have against this new law is the idea of it being unconstitutional in the sense that it promotes racial profiling. How else are these officials supposed to single out potential illegals? Supporters of this law say that the law prohibits the use of race as the sole basis for investigating immigration status. I don’t know how people can make such broad statements like this with no proof to show that it’s true. Can you prove that Arizona police are not stopping every Hispanic person they see for any trivial violation they can possibly dream up? I guarantee that is what’s happening. My concern for this law is that almost all other U.S. states are seriously considering the adoption of the same type of measures. Isn’t it too soon to tell whether or not Arizona has made a huge mistake? Why not let them be the guinea pig for a little while longer until we see how this whole thing plays out? I do believe that there should be movements made towards controlling the influx of illegal immigrants in the U.S., but as far as how this should be done is a huge undertaking. I see the pros of Arizona’s law, but can also see straight through all the holes it contains as well.