Reaction by advocacy groups, elected officials and others to the U.S. Department of Justice's filing of a lawsuit challenging Arizona's immigration enforcement law:
"The Obama Administration has not done everything it can do to protect the people of Arizona from the violence and crime illegal immigration brings to our state. Until it does, the federal government should not be suing Arizona on the grounds that immigration enforcement is solely a federal responsibility." — U.S. Sens. Jon Kyl and John McCain, R-Ariz.
"It is disappointing to see the federal government choosing to intervene in a state statute instead of working with Arizona to create sustainable solutions to the illegal immigration issue that our state and country so desperately need." — Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard.
"Gov. Jan Brewer cannot be permitted to pervert federal policy priorities and obstruct national progress all in the name of political pandering." — Thomas A. Saenz, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund president and general council.
"Arizona's new law will likely spawn a patchwork of new immigration laws around the country. This isn't an optimal approach. However, the response cannot be a patchwork of federal challenges — it needs to be comprehensive immigration reform." — U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.
"The impact of illegal immigration on Arizona's well-being cannot be denied. But to require local police to act as immigration agents when a lack of local resources already makes enforcing criminal laws and ordinances a challenging proposition, is not realistic. " — Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villasenor.
"This lawsuit is a sideshow, distracting us from the real task at hand. " — U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz.
" Our country needs a federal solution to this problem, not a chaotic hodgepodge of 50 different state immigration policies." — U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., Congressional Hispanic Caucus chairwoman.
"For President Obama to stand in the way of a state which has taken action to stand up for its citizens against this daily threat of violence and fear is disgraceful and a betrayal of his Constitutional obligation to protect our citizens. " — U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform ranking minority member.
"While the president acknowledged last week that Arizonans are justifiably fed up with inaction, filing a lawsuit is counterproductive to his statements of appealing to the American people's highest ideals to create a sensible and workable immigration policy. Arizonans are tired of the grandstanding. Political posturing on this issue has to end." — U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz.
"The administration's lawsuit is a cannon shot across the bow of other states that may be tempted to follow Arizona's misguided approach. "— Lucas Guttentag, ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project director.
"Instead of spending taxpayer funds to challenge Arizona's constitutional right to protect its borders and its citizens, the Obama administration should secure Arizona's borders and the borders of other states." — Washington-based American Center for Law and Justice.
"The people Jan Brewer calls 'illegal' will one day be citizens of this country, they will become leaders of Arizona, and they will have succeeded in strengthening the Union and defending our Constitution along their path.— Pablo Alvarado, National Day Laborer Organizing Network director.
“Federal lawyers arguing with state lawyers will do nothing to
strengthen border security or to fix our broken immigration laws.
The supreme irony of the lawsuit is its premise that SB 1070
intrudes on the federal government’s responsibility to enforce
immigration laws. Had the federal government taken that
responsibility seriously in the past, neither today’s lawsuit nor
the state law that prompted it would be necessary.” — U.S. Rep.
Gabrielle Giffords.
“The lawsuit is prudent and necessary. Prudent because you have to
defend the constitutional prerogatives of all of us, including the
federal government. And necessary because you have to test this
law. And even the most ardent supporter, whether it’s Jan Brewer or
Russell Pearce, I hope after they took an oath of office to defend
the constitution, would want to make sure they’re defending and
implementing the law that passes constitutional muster.” — U.S. Rep
Raul Grijalva
“I welcome the filing of the federal lawsuit which is designed to
get a quick answer from the court on this issue. No one can deny
that Arizona has borne a particular burden caused by the slowness
of federal authorities, including Congress, to address this issue.
Nevertheless, I believe the quickest way to get the preemption
issue resolved is by the federal lawsuit.” — Pinal County Attorney
James Walsh.
“We are already seeing and hearing immigrant and Latino families
who are afraid to call on law enforcement. This fear frays the
relationship between law enforcement and communities and makes
their jobs more difficult.” — Jennifer Allen, executive director,
Border Action Network.
“The concerted scapegoating of immigrants by some Arizona
Republicans has poisoned our political environment, endangered our
community, moved our nation further away from needed immigration
reform, and above all, it has imperiled the civil rights of all
Arizonans. Thankfully, the courts will have the last word.” —
Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox.
“The federal government has failed to protect the people of Arizona
from illegal aliens, so the state government, quite sensibly, moved
to fill the void. This lawsuit should fail because it is based on
the absurd assertion that Arizona should be punished for enforcing
federal immigration laws which our current president and current
attorney general have no interest in enforcing.” — Former
congressman and current U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Hayworth.
“Instead of sending a sufficient number of National Guard troops
and financial resources to secure the border, President Obama is
sending lawyers.” — Republican gubernatorial hopeful Buz Mills.
Source: The Associated Press and Capitol Media Services
apriltwenty posted at 2:30 pm on Tue, Jul 6, 2010.
Pearce is a disgrace to AZ and the USA. Please unelect him next time around. He has brought our state to it's knees financially and politically and refuses to provide for the education of our children. Don't buy into the immigration smoke screen. Pearce is covering up for his lack of knowledge and his racist ways. Barry Goldwater would be ashamed of people like him and those who would vote for such a fool.
Masterrogue666 posted at 3:15 pm on Tue, Jul 6, 2010.
To apriltwitty:
Pearce has "brought our state to it's knees financially"? How? The stock market and housing market crashes occurred well BEFORE SB1070 was even given to Gov Brewer. Unfortunately, it's to be expected by those that want ILLEGAL ALIENS to get amnesty. They make grand statements that are completely untrue, and at the heart of those statements they like to use the word "racist". Over 70% of US Citizens support SB 1070. Are you saying that 70% of America is racist? And what do you call those persons that are of Hispanic/Latino ancestry that support SB1070? Traitor? Because you sure can't use the term "racist" on them.....
TruthSeeker posted at 3:26 pm on Tue, Jul 6, 2010.
This suit is only a prelude to Obama's executive order for amnesty. Since he can't round up the Congressional votes and 70% of Americans are against his amnesty plan, the only way to get his way is to cheat.
AZMomma posted at 4:17 pm on Tue, Jul 6, 2010.
Shame on President Obama. He has chosen Mexico over the safety, security and best interests of the US Citizens.
He will go down in the history books as not only the first (half) black President but as one of the few ONE TERM Presidents.
IF he does not prevail in Court..what next? A spoiled brat temper tantrum is expected.
apriltwenty posted at 4:50 pm on Tue, Jul 6, 2010.
to mastergoof666
I notice that you don't mention education. I guess that you just don't care about it. You would rather bash illegal immigrants than insist that people like pearce do their job. There is no reason for 1070. It has only made things worse and AZ will suffer for a long time. I mention racist because that is the perception of AZ from around the country. People still remember the Martin Luther King debacle and then Gov. Mecham's " picaninney" comment. Let's face it, Az is full of undereducated people for a reason. Pearce and his buddies could not get elected if the voters were educated. If you want your kids to get a good public education you should really leave AZ and go to almost any other state. 1070 is a smoke screen to cover up for the incompentence in the state house.
SunWorshiper posted at 7:15 pm on Tue, Jul 6, 2010.
April..april..april. Surely your comments toward Russel Pearce and Arizona Education are tongue-in-cheek?
Again, I suggest you take a look at www.foxnews.com at the special report summary posted today that breaks down the costs to taxpayers of each of the 50 states for Illegals living in each state. The summary also mentions that educating the illegals' children is one of the biggest expenses to each state.
I didn't see a smokescreen on that report, but I did see an awful lot of zeroes and red ink in Arizona's column. [wink]
Masterrogue666 posted at 9:44 am on Wed, Jul 7, 2010.
To apriltwenty: I noticed your comment about education in another article. I left a comment there, but will state the similar here.
If you are upset about the education level of AZ, wouldn't it make sense to stop having to pay for all the ILLEGAL ALIEN children and anchor babies educations?
By the way, I am educated, and I support Pearce. It doesn't make me a racist, either.
As for the education of my child. It's also important for the parent(s) to be involved in the education of the child, which I am.
Masterrogue666 posted at 11:30 am on Wed, Jul 7, 2010.
SunWorshipper/apriltwenty:
Here's the actual report. I've just begun reading it.
http://www.fairus.org/site/DocServer/USCostStudy_2010.pdf?docID=4921
Interesting thing is this statement-
"The study also estimates tax collections from illegal alien workers, both those in the above-ground economy and those in the underground economy. Those receipts do not come close to the level of expenditures and, in any case, are misleading as an offset because over time unemployed and underemployed U.S. workers would replace illegal alien workers."
Sounds FAIR to me....
allamer posted at 11:25 pm on Wed, Jul 7, 2010.
Interesting mix of pro-American and pro-illegal alien comments. Anybody calling for "comprehensive immigration reform" is a traitor to America. Our current immigration laws are our policy. We don't need more laws or different laws. Our current laws are being IGNORED. Attorney General Holder admitted that by saying that enforcement must be "balanced" against diplomacy with other countries, like Mexico. I wonder if our income tax laws can be "balanced"----no, probably not.