Hundreds of people gathered outside Arizona’s Capitol building on Sunday in a largely peaceful protest against the state’s tough new immigration law.
Chanting “Yes we can,” waving American flags and holding signs reading “We have rights” and “We are human,” demonstrators kept up a festive spirit as they denounced the bill signed Friday by Gov. Jan Brewer.
The new law requires police to determine whether a person is in the United States legally. It also requires immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and requires police to question people if there is reason to suspect they’re in the United States illegally.
Protesters worry that the law will foster racial profiling.
“What is ‘reasonable suspicion?’ ” protester Jose Acosta asked Sunday. “Are we going to get pulled over just because of a broken taillight or because of the color of our skin? … If so, is everybody going to be pulled over?”
The Rev. Al Sharpton, along with leaders from the National Action Network and the Hispanic Federation, announced Sunday that he will legally challenge the law.
The law “is an affront to the civil rights of all Americans and an attempt to legalize racial profiling,” Sharpton said in a statement after the bill’s signing Friday. “As one who helped to make racial profiling a national issue and who has in the last year visited Arizona several times to rally against these draconian immigration policies, I am calling for a coalition of civil rights organizations to work with those in Arizona to resist and overturn this state law.”
“We will go to Arizona when this bill goes into effect and walk the streets with people who refuse to give identification and force arrest,” Sharpton said.
President Barack Obama has called the new law “misguided” and has instructed the Justice Department to examine it to see if it’s legal. Civil rights advocates have vowed to challenge the law in court, saying it would lead to racial profiling.
Supporters of the law say Arizona’s example will force the federal government to take steps to seal the border.
The activists who joined Sharpton at a Manhattan news conference said they are prepared to commit civil disobedience if those efforts fail.
(Read More: CNN)
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12 Responses
Given Mr. Sharpton’s past record of showing the same love for Hispanics that he shows for Jews and Asians, I don’t think his position on the matter should be taken too seriously.
The law is Arizona is probably unconstitutional (since immigration is a federal matter), and such laws could be devastating for the frum community (many frum people in America are foreign nationals without correct paperwork – it could lead to raids in Boro Park looking for Israelis without green cards or current visas). It also is politically quite dumb for the Republicans since most of the Hispanic immigrants are very conservative, family oriented, and religious, and as such would be more likely to end up as Repblicans but for the nativist groups within the Republican party (and like most conservatives, they tend to have large families).
so let me get this straight. they are protesting that their is a chance that someone might do something wrong in the future, but as of now, no one has done anything wrong yet? so then the protestors are ready “to commit civil disobedience” because someone might do something wrong in the future? but no one has done something wrong yet? what am i missing?
akuperma — There are practically no frum folks living in the US illegally. That’s a canard.
Many foreigners have overstayed their Visa. Most of them are students or clergy and many of them don’t settle here and have families that then suck the system dry. That is not the same as someone who snuck in over the border and then has a large family and sucks the system dry. Arizonians are fed up with those that broke the law being allowed to attend schools and get routine-non lifesaving care for free. No other country allows that. In many countries illegals are given harsh sentences and hard labor.
This is not anti-immigrant this is anti illegals. Of course the president will call them ‘Undocumented’ and not ‘Illegal’.
Any schnorer or yeshiva student or tourist or Israeli spouse who overstays their visa becomes an “illegal immigrant.” A large percentage of the overall illegal immigrants are people who enter under tourist or student visa, and either accept gainful employment or overstay their visa. Under such a law, if adopted nationally, the police would be obligated to go into a place of employment where they heard lots of foreign accents, and ask everyone for their passport or green card, and to deport anyone found lacking.
But branding members of the Republican Party nativist is profiling on your part and extremely hypocritical, akuperma. Because it was the Democrat Party who had the Dixiecrats and people like Governor George Wallace who opposed desegration and former KKK members who are currently sitting in the Senate such as Robert Byrd or out and out racists such as Woodrow Wilson. And let’s not forget the anti-semitism of JFK’s father “Honey Fitz”.
But, my oh my, you do become defensive with your accusations, now don’t you?
I am a native born American ciotizen (unless Brooklyn is no longer US soil). If I have a ruddy complexion and dark hair, I can be stopped in Arizona (again US soil) and if I do not have a US Passport can be jailed.
This law is racism at its worst and will do NOTHING to help solve the problem of illegal immigration.
The Governor of Arizona should charge Al Sharpton with Obstruction of justice, and finally put him away for good.
Moose613, you have not been listening to the radio broadcasts. The chief of police of Maricopa County has stated they are not going to ask such questions unless they have DUE CAUSE which means that if they are pulling someone over for another violation then they will ask and demand proof of citizenship which should have been happening a while ago.
I am a third generation American… I have very dark hair and dark eyes…. I would have no problem being pulled over, if it means keeping, myself, my family and my fellow Americans more safe…. IF you have nothing you hide you have nothing to worry about…
1.akuperma
There’s Halacha to respect the law of a Host country of the land you reside in. If the law is to have correct paper work, then they should respect the law and leave. By them defying the law, they cost Taxpayers extra money (Social services like Hospitals,Welfare,etc), Which I might add we don’t have.
And the Hispanics in the last election in 08, overwhelming voted for Obama.
and if I may add onto POLITICALS comments (which I agree with)…. Our president, Al Sharpton (who gets way too much of the spotlight) and the others on the left…. are so left that they care more about the rights of the illegal immigrants (lets not leave out talking nicely to Iran that would Nuke us in a heartbeat, no such things as terrorist etc) then about innocent people that are killed or victimized in other ways by these illegals…. and of course it goes without saying that I dotn want my tax dollars paying for all there social services as POLITICAl put it….