Arizon'a SB1070 law effectively makes it a state crime to be an illegal immigrant to the United States and gives police the power to check anyone's immigration status, so long as they suspect that the individual does not have the proper documentation to reside here. Opponents have expressed concern that the law encourages racism and profiling in largely Hispanic communities. Even the Mexican government has entered into the mix, and has urged lawmakers to uphold the State's recent ban of a clause in SB1070 that criminalizes "harboring of undocumented immigrants," according to Fox News Latino.
Representatives of the Mexican government argue that the harboring statute damages negotiations with the United states because "foreign policy decisions of the federal government are undermined by the individual policies of individual states."
A representative of Jan Brewer, the Arizona Governor who signed SB1070 into law in 2010, argues that "Mexico's own immigration laws are significantly more heavy-handed than anything imposed as a result of SB1070. Does the Mexican government believe the nearly identical U.S. federal law harms diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Mexico?"
Governor Rick Perry of Texas attempted to pass a similar piece of legislation in 2011, but failed to engrave its edict in state law, reports the Laredo Sun. Texan State Representative Richard Pena Raymond explains, "If a law passed in Texas, the police have the power to arrest people just because they look Hispanic. this would be discriminatory and terrible in our community."
Check back with Latinos Post for updates on the status of SB1070.
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