The topic of immigration as a whole stirs up a lot of discussion among many U.S. citizens, not to mention how much argument that Arizona SB 1070 has stirred up in the past months. Arizona SB 1070 is the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act. This Act was signed by Governor Jan Brewer on April 23, 2010 and requires that all aliens within Arizona carry their required documents of U.S. citizenry. The Act is also putting a crack down on those people who may be housing, hiring, or transporting illegal immigrants. This Act encourages racial profiling and should be looked down upon.
Legislators in Colorado have been trying to pass a similar bill mimicking Arizona SB 1070. This bill would allow an officer to arrest a person without a warrant if there was probable cause the person was an illegal immigrant. As the Denver Daily News says, “Multiple opponents of the proposed legislation said they worried that the bill would further erode trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities.” Robert Ticer, a member of the Avon Police Department testified on behalf of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police and said, “illegal immigrants might not step forward as a witness or victim of a crime because they would worry about being deported.” Ticer makes a great point because without trust between law enforcement and community, public safety will be at risk.
Many supporters of SB 54 bring up the point that the illegal immigration costs Colorado about 1.5 billion dollars annually; although opponents counter back by saying that SB 54 would cost the state a lot of money also because of all the lawsuits it would inevitably cause, “Arizona’s litigation costs exceeded $1 million within three months of implementing their tough anti-illegal immigration law.” As far as money is concerned this bill does not seem to diminish the costs to the state, but rather increases them while also stirring up a lot of controversy in the court system. The Denver Daily News also says that immigrants are not destroying society like some citizens believe. In their article a spokesman for the Colorado Center on Law and Policy made a great point, “illegal immigrants in Colorado make up 5 percent of the workforce, 3 percent of the income, and put a significant amount of revenue back into the state.” There is a blurry image of immigrants in the United States and this spokesman makes a great point in saying that immigrants actually contribute a lot to the economy and society.
The SB 54 is still trying to be passed, although governor Hickenlooper indicated that he would veto the bill if it were to pass. Hickenlooper has the right mindset in believing that this bill raises way too many controversial issues that Colorado does not need. SB 54 brings up a lot of racial problems and causes a distant connection between community and law enforcement. The bill should not be passed in Colorado.
During a small seminar I attended recently called “Immigration in a New Light” in Driscoll Hall at the University of Denver the Arizona SB 1070 was brought up. This seminar hosted two men, Dr. Miguel De La Torre and Richard Froude. Dr. Miguel De La Torre came to the U.S. from Cuba as a refugee in 1961. He has now been a U.S. citizen for many years. Richard Froude decided to come to the U.S. on his own from London. Froude had some troubles attempting to get a green card. As of right now Froude is not a U.S. citizen and is here as a lawful permanent resident. After both men had told their individual stories there was a time for questions. One women who attended the seminar brought up Arizona State Bill 1070 and asked the men`s opinion on it. Dr. Miguel De La Torre’s answer was very interesting and also quite disturbing. De La Torre said that because of this bill and because of the way he looks, he is more likely to be stopped by the police for questioning over Richard Froude. Richard Froude is Caucasian and unless he was to speak he would most likely not be questioned about his citizenry. The ironic point about this is that Dr. Miguel De La Torre is a U.S. citizen and Richard Froude is not. With the Arizona SB coming into action, many people will begin to be questioned based solely on their looks alone. How do you think it makes someone feel when he or she is pinpointed as an illegal immigrant based only on what they look like? This is embarrassing and wrong and definitely raises questions about the racial aspect of the bill.
Imagine you are an immigrant. You came to the United States from Israel and have been living in the states since you were thirty years old. You have dark skin, dark hair, and as part of your Israeli custom you also wear a turban. It is now ten years later in 2011 and you are living in Arizona where the new State Bill has just been passed. You are driving in your car and are pulled over by a state trooper for going fifteen miles over the speed limit. Along with asking for your license and registration the officer also asks for a your United States citizenry papers. How do you think this would make you feel?
I can imagine you would be embarrassed, self-conscious and feel a bit pin pointed or racially profiled. You have been a United States citizen for ten years now and this has never happened before. Arizona SB 1070 has a negative sense connected with it and seems to be a source of embarrassment and racial profiling of those who “look” like immigrants. Especially because there are people who have a negative outlook on immigrants and their reason for being in the United States, this bill just gives those people the right to point out those who may be immigrants.
As a student at the University of Denver, walking the campus and seeing someone who may be foreign is a common occurrence. These people are just like everyone else. I could only imagine how awful it would be for a college student to be questioned as an illegal immigrant. Also, the people who work in our cafeterias and as part of the dorm cleaning service are mostly foreign also. These people do a service that many people would hate to do, although a service that is very much needed. These people are contributing to the United States work force and for them to be questioned or even worse, deported, if the SB 54 passed, would be completely wrong.
SB 54 is not what Colorado needs right now. The bill would stir up way too much controversy and cost the state a lot of money in lawsuits. This bill should not be passed in Colorado.
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