Arizona's Immigration law: SB 1070 & HB 2162

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Utah to follow Arizona immigration law?by Associated Press (May 27th, 2010 @ 11:18am)

SALT LAKE CITY - Utah Gov. Gary Herbert says he will sign an immigration bill into law next session if he's still governor, although it is unclear how closely that bill might mirror one in Arizona that's considered the toughest in the nation.

The Arizona law requires that police conducting traffic stops or questioning people about possible legal violations ask them about their immigration status if there is ``reasonable suspicion'' that they're in the country illegally.

Reasonable suspicion is not defined. The law also makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally and for illegal immigrants to solicit work.

Herbert told reporters Thursday during his monthly KUED news conference that he favors punishing businesses that hire illegal immigrants.

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SB 1070 supporters rally in Tempeby Associated Press (May 29th, 2010 @ 7:32pm)

TEMPE, Ariz. — Thousands of supporters of Arizona's tough new crackdown on illegal immigration are rallying at a baseball stadium outside Phoenix.

The Stand With Arizona rally asks people from around the country to support the state's law in the face of a backlash from opponents including civil rights groups and President Barack Obama.

Supporters are encouraging like-minded Americans to "buycott" Arizona by planning vacations in the state.

Most of Tempe Diablo Stadium's more than 7,000 seats were full Saturday, and hundreds more people milled in the back or sat on the infield

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LOS ANGELES (AP) - Los Angeles County on Tuesday became the latest government body to boycott Arizona to protest the state's tough new law targeting illegal immigration. After a heated debate, the county's board of supervisors voted 3-2 to ban new contracts with Arizona-based companies and review those that could be canceled. The county has more than $26 million in contracts with Arizona companies this year. Several California cities, including Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco, have passed similar measures. The Arizona law, set to go into effect July 29, requires police enforcing another law to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are in the country illegally. Supervisor Gloria Molina said law "goes too far." "I am sworn as an L.A. County supervisor to uphold the Constitution. All I can say is that I believe that Arizona's law is unconstitutional," she said. U.S. Justice Department officials have drafted a legal challenge asserting that Arizona's law is unconstitutional because it intrudes on the federal government's authority to guard the nation's borders. Critics of the law also say it unfairly targets Hispanics and could lead to racial profiling. Proponents insist racial profiling will not be tolerated. Dozens of people spoke on both sides of the issue Tuesday, trying to sway Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was the last to announce his position and finally voted yes. "We need solutions, not boycotts," said Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who voted against the motion along with Supervisor Don Knabe. The boycott also calls the county's pension fund to rid itself of any investments in Arizona's state and municipal bonds. The county does have investment that would be affected by the boycott, said the county's treasurer, Mark Saladino. A Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday found that about three-fourths of voters in the U.S. think boycotting Arizona because of its immigration law is a bad idea. The national survey of 1,914 registered voters also found that most support the law itself, with 51 percent of voters approving of the measure and 31 percent disapproving. The poll, conducted May 19-24, had a sampling error margin of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.

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Letter to LA: Boycott in the dark

PHOENIX -- Arizona Corporation Commissioner Gary Pierce has suggested that if Los Angeles pursues a boycott of Arizona over its immigration law, Arizona could retaliate by taking back some of the electricity it generates for southern California.

In a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Perce said he was "dismayed" by the vote of the Los Angeles City Council to boycott Arizona.

Pierce quoted from a Villaraigosa statement that the goal of the boycott was "to impact the economy of Arizona. Our intent is to use our dollars or the withholding of our dollars -- to send a message."

Pierce said that approximately 25 percent of the electricity consumed in Los Angeles is generated by power plants in Arizona.

"If an economic boycott is truly what you desire, I will be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements, so Los Angeles no longer receives any power from Arizona-based generation," Pierce wrote to Villaraigosa. "I am confident that Arizona's utilities would be happy to take those electrons off your hands. If, however, you find that the City Council lacks the strength of its convictions to turn off the lights in Los Angeles and boycott Arizona power, please reconsider the wisdom of attempting to harm Arizona's economy."

Pierce said that people of good will can disagree over the merits of SB1070, the Arizona law, but, "A statewide economic boycott of Arizona is not a message sent in goodwill."

The Arizona Corporation Commission regulates utilities, including the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station west of Phoenix, the nation's largest nuclear plant. Southern California Edison Co. owns 15.8 percent of Palo Verde, the Southern California Public Power Authority 5.9 percent and the City of Los Angeles 8.7 percent.

Los Angeles gets about 6 percent of its electricity from hydroelectric power, most of that generated by Hoover Dam on the Arizona-Nevada border. It also gets power from some coal-fired plants in Arizona.

The new Arizona law, which has spawned controversy across the nation, requires local law enforcement officers to question the immigration status of anyone they stop for another reason and then have reasonable suspicion that the person is in the United States illegally.

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LA County to boycott Arizona
by Associated Press (June 1st, 2010 @ 5:23pm)

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County is joining in the economic boycott against Arizona to protest the state's new law targeting illegal immigration.

After a heated debate, the county board of supervisors voted 3-to-2 Tuesday to ban new contracts with Arizona-based companies and review those that could be canceled. The county has more than $26 million in contracts with Arizona companies this year.

Other California cities, including Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco, have passed similar measures.

The Arizona law requires police enforcing another law to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are in the country illegally.

L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina says law ``goes too far.''

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Legal eagle: SB1070 will survive challengesby Jim Cross/KTAR (June 3rd, 2010 @ 7:14am)

PHOENIX -- ABC legal analyst Royal Oakes believes Senate Bill 1070, Arizona's new immigration law, will stand up to courtroom challenges, although he says, "It's going to be a long drawn-out process."

The law, which takes effect July 29, is being challenged as unconstitutional and on grounds that it will lead to racial profiling as police ask the immigration status of people they have reasonable suspicion may be in the United States illegally.

When it comes to the racial profiling claim, Oakes said, "The bill could not be more clear. It bans racial profiling. Critics, however, say, `Well, okay, it's fine to ban it. But, if you're a police officer, don't you have the power now to stop -- say 90 out of 100 people -- as they drive by?`"

As for claims that it's unconstitutional, he said, "The Fourth Amendment guarantees against unreasonable searches and seizures. The 14th Amendment allows everybody equal protection and due process rights. Some people say that this law gives police so much power that, really, it tramples on those constitutional rights."

Oakes sees as the biggest challenge: "Does Arizona even have a right to pass a law like this or is it exclusively the power of the federal government to regulate immigration?"

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Anger over Obama's meeting with Brewerby Associated Press (June 3rd, 2010 @ 6:04am)

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's planned meeting Thursday with Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer faces a protest from opponents of Arizona's new immigration law.
Opponents say the law, which Brewer signed, is discriminatory and say Obama isn't doing enough on immigration reform.

Brewer is to meet Obama at the White House, and opponents said they will hold a demonstration there to denounce the Republican governor, ``the discriminatory Arizona law she signed'' and ``President Obama's halfhearted leadership on immigration reform.''

Supporters of an overhaul of U.S. immigration law have accused Obama of not pushing Congress hard enough to pass immigration legislation. Some have said Arizona's law and tough immigration laws in other states are symptoms of a broken immigration system.

Arizona's new law, scheduled to take effect July 29, will require police enforcing any other law to examine immigration status if there is reasonable suspicion a person is in the country illegally. It also makes being in the country illegally a state crime.

Obama says the law is the wrong approach to illegal immigration and his administration is combing through it and preparing for a possible legal challenge. Brewer has been soliciting donations from the law's supporters to defend it.

In an interview Wednesday, Brewer said she hoped she and Obama could agree on solutions to improve border security.

Brewer said she wants to know how Obama's plan to deploy up to 1,200 National Guard troops to the border with Mexico will affect Arizona and what else he has in mind to tighten border security.

She said she'll make a pitch for her own proposal calling for more troops on the border, deployment of helicopters and surveillance drones and completion of a border fence.

The White House said it would lay out for Brewer the ``unprecedented resources'' dedicated over the past 16 months to secure the border.

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Burlington, Vt., council calls for AZ boycott
by Associated Press (June 15th, 2010 @ 6:06am)

BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Burlington, Vt., City Council is calling for a boycott of the state of Arizona because of a law that state passed that authorizes police to question people about their immigration status.

On Monday, the City Council voted 10-4 for the boycott of Arizona and Arizona businesses.

The vote was in response to a new law in Arizona that requires police to question a person's immigration status if officers have a reasonable suspicion that the person is in the country illegally.

Supporters of the boycott filled the auditorium where the meeting was held.

The Burlington Free Press says the measure was supported by Progressive Mayor Bob Kiss and opposed by the city's three Republican councilors.

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Chino Valley backs amended Ariz. immigration law
June 15, 2010 12:42 PM - Associated Press

PRESCOTT - The Chino Valley town staff and the mayor will draft a letter to Gov. Jan Brewer, the president of the Senate and speaker of the House in support of Senate Bill 1070 as amended.

The Yavapai County town's council was expected to take it up again June 24.

Councilman Joel Baker said a letter from the council carries more weight than if it comes from an individual.

Chino Valley Police Chief Pat Huntsman said if the law goes into effect by the end of July it will add three hours of transport time to her officers' schedules. Huntsman added they're "sworn to uphold the law and will."

This month, Huntsman said, her officers, like others across Arizona, will start their mandatory training. It will be over the Internet and can be done locally.



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articl...#ixzz0qxDsuOZR

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Sacramento approves sanctions against Ariz.
by Associated Press (June 16th, 2010 @ 2:47pm)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sacramento is joining the list of cities boycotting Arizona to protest the state's stringent new anti-illegal immigration law set to take effect next month.

The city council voted 6-1 Tuesday to forbid city employees from attending conferences in Arizona, or doing business with companies based there.

Companies affected include Phoenix-based Sundt Construction, part of a downtown revitalization proposal and the lead firm on a library construction job.

To supporters of the measure, this was a civil rights issue. But opponents felt the council should concentrate on local matters.

San Francisco, Los Angeles and Oakland have passed similar measures.

The Arizona law makes it a crime to be an illegal immigrant and directs police to check the status of anyone suspected of being here illegally.