Arizona Immigration Bill Modified To Clear Up Confusion

Arizona lawmakers OK several changes to immigration law.  ABC 15 Phoenix. 

Designed to clarify some points.

Changes to the bill language will actually remove the word “solely” from the sentence, “The attorney general or county attorney shall not investigate complaints that are based solely on race, color or national origin.” 

Another change replaces the phrase ”lawful contact” with “lawful stop, detention or arrest” to apparently clarify that officers don’t need to question a victim or witness about their legal status. 

A third change specifies that police contact over violations for local civil ordinances can trigger questioning on immigration status.

…also would change the law to specify that immigration-status questions would follow a law enforcement officer’s stopping, detaining or arresting a person while enforcing another law. 

Just to make it real clear.

Brewer’s spokesman said that makes it clear that police cannnot question people just on the suspicion they’re illegal immigrants.

See:

• http://www.abc15.com/content/news/phoenixmetro/central/story/Arizona-lawmakers-OK-several-changes-to/qNpxW7Jonkm9shejhnkiSQ.cspx

Hispanic American Offers Impression Of Arizona Bill 1070

From One Hispanic to Others — Arizona, You’re Being Had By the Media.  Big Journalism.

This lady makes many excellent points.

The best is the very expression of being an American, first.

I am an American of Hispanic heritage and I look the part. I can’t count how many times I’ve been asked, “Do you speak English?” According to the rhetoric being showered in the media I’m supposed to be upset at being asked for my “papers.” Oh really?

Ask any American of every ethnicity how often they are asked for picture ID. The answer is it happens on a daily basis- checking into hotels, using credit cards, at job interviews. We should be used to this by now. The only place we don’t have to be documented is at the voting booth. If voters had to prove their eligibility the Democrats would lose their base and their power.

Once again the Democrats are displaying the Pavlovian response of injecting race into issues that should be looked at instead with common sense.

Will the Democrats cede to the obvious attempts by illegal immigrants to maintain their illegal status, and hence their enjoyment of many of the rights and privileges of tax-paying citizens?

Will Hispanic American citizens bear ill will towards law enforcement officials inquiring about their citizenship?  They do it all the time already at a multitude of government and businesses interactions without a second thought. 

Arizona Senate Bill 1070 PDF.

See:

• http://bigjournalism.com/aliciacolon/2010/04/29/from-one-hispanic-to-others-re-arizona-youre-being-had-by-the-media/
• http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070h.pdf