The Obama Administration is continuing to feel the heat over its decision to challenge the Arizona immigration law — a move making immigration a rallying cry for the November elections. With polls showing that citizens oppose the federal lawsuit two to one and that over sixty percent want similar laws in their own states, some Democrats are complaining that the Administration has put a nail in their political coffins. The level of anger on the issue is reflected by the astonishing level of financial support donated to Arizona: roughly $500,000 to pay for the state to fight the federal lawsuit.
Most donations are $100 or less but they appear to be pouring in. The controversy is also helping Gov. Jan Brewer in her reelection bid and hurting candidates like Majority Leader Harry Reid in nearby Nevada. Obama’s polling numbers continue to fall. Only 26% now strongly support him in the most recent poll while 54% disapprove of his performance in office. The key independent voter block is the most worrisome for the White House. In the latest Gallup poll, only 38% of independents now support Obama.
Despite these numbers and the opposition to the immigration policies, the Administration has been accused of pushing for a general amnesty for illegal immigrants.
I recently explored the immigration issue in the context of other unpopular policies recently in this column.
Source: Yahoo.
Maybe Arizona should consider having prospective legislation reviewed by actual lawyers before blithely committing hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to political battles.
Buddah I see.
Pssst! Smom. Look up. 😀
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/07/judge-rules-against-portions-of-arizona-immigration-law.php?ref=fpa
UPDATE:
AP is reporting that Arizona Immigration Law: Sections BLOCKED By Federal Judge
http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2010/07/13/hate-groups-donate-to-arizona-laws-defense/ They think it is a racist law.
Mojo,
No problem with a long-lived “love-fest”. We will be back at each other’s throats “red in tooth and claw” directly…
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/07/mccain-and-kyl-endorse-jan-brewer.php?ref=fpi
Enforcing immigration laws should be the responsibility of the Federal government as mandated by the Constitution. It is a power specifically reserved to the Federal government in Art. I, Sec. 8 of the US Constitution covering granting the Federal government the specific power “[t]o establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization” and the right to police it falls under both the Supremacy Clause and the Commerce Clause.
The fully vague text of the Arizona law is here.
http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf
As to what I do? Don’t make suppositions. I leave the house without ID all the time. But I’m white, a man and live in the South. Nobody looks at me twice. The issue isn’t me. The issue is the guy down the street who was born here to naturalized American citizens from Mexico who is every bit the citizen I am and the potential abuse of these laws to detain him and possibly deport him illegally. Simply because he happens to be brown and speak with an accent because he was raised in a bilingual household. He doesn’t have the same “Get Out of Arrest or Harassment Card Because He’s White” card like I do. Don’t get me wrong. I hate that illegal immigrants cross our borders. But policing the borders (absent invasion) is solely the power of the Federal government, not the State of Arizona. You might want to read this thread too: http://jonathanturley.org/2010/07/06/administration-challenges-arizona-law/
As to your union? I’m suggestion that stealing a workers wages as a payoff for not reporting him to INS, which is the union behavior you described, is an illegal kickback. Your union is supposed to protect you from shit like that, not perpetrate it. Your union local is as much to blame for the problem as any employer using illegals. Not all unions locals act that way. Most actually do the job they are supposed to: protect workers rights through collective bargaining. The behavior you described is prime facie illegal and if your local officials are acting that way, they should be reported to the FBI and the relevant union officials.
The law requires you present id in traffic stops or when arrested/detained in unrelated crimes, that law already existed on the federal level. If they are deporting people who are here legally they are’nt doing their job properly, citizenship is not hard to prove. and If they’re here illegally why should’nt they be deported. How often do you leave your house with no ID what-so-ever? I’d say that falls under some sort of reasonable suspicion. Mentioning the patriot act I said public outrage, I was’nt including most who frequent this website. Glass house?
are you suggesting the responsibility of dealing with illegal immigration should be shifted to ordinary citizens or unions and not the police?