Peru’s foreign relations commission to analyze controversial Arizona law
April 29, 2010 by Andean Air Mail & PERUVIAN TIMES · 1 Comment
Peru’s Congressional Foreign Relations Commission will analyze a controversial Arizona state immigration law that empowers police to question anyone they have a “reasonable suspicion” is an illegal immigrant, and to jail those who fail to produce documents on the spot to prove their legal status.
Congresswoman Luisa Maria Cuculiza, the president of the commission, said lawmakers will take up the issue when they convene next week to see what measures they can take to protect Peruvians in Arizona who might fall victim to the draconian law, Peru’s state-run news agency Andina reported.
“On Monday the commission will meet to discuss the topic, because to me it appears to be a very discriminatory law,” Cuculiza said. “It is discriminatory treatment and I believe in the 21st century they shouldn’t act in this manner.”
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed the bill into law last Friday, saying it “represents what’s best for Arizona.”
The law, which is to be enacted in 90 days, allows police to arrest and question people about their immigration status without a warrant. It makes it illegal to be in the state without proper documentation, while making it a crime for companies who hire illegal immigrants or those who provide transportation for them in Arizona.
The legislation has faced strong criticism from across Latin America, as well from U.S. civil rights organizations, Hispanic lawmakers in Washington and U.S. President Barack Obama, who said the law “threatens to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe.”
He said he had instructed members of his Justice Department to examine the civil rights implications of the law.
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Message Body:
I am responding here to the letter you have printed by R. Rodriguez since the comment section is not working.
Mr. Rodriguez forgets that while the some parts of this bill use the legal terminology of “probable” cause, the use of the the nonlegal term “reasonable” (“reasonable suspicion” is used in several places) allows for the introduction of a shadowy area for law enforcement. What is “reasonable?”
In addition, it is already understood that Arizona is a border state and that the signing of this bill is directed at illegal “Mexican” immigrants. Is it “unreasonable” to think that law enforcement officials might consider any brown or darker skinned person as “reasonably suspicious?” It does not take much imagination to see the possibilities for overly aggressive abuse of all darker skinned peoples whether legal or illegal. Thus, these “reasonable suspicions” might easily constitute civil rights violations.
It is also not surprising that both federal and state governments have begun a crackdown on illegal immigrants. The US is currently still in the throes of a major recession which has resulted in a huge increase in unemployment (especially high among blacks and Latinos). When unemployment is high the allowance granted to illegal immigrants during times of high employment disappears. It is no longer necessary to import cheap labor (or export jobs to gain cheaper labor elsewhere) since there is a huge labor pool of the unemployed who are willing to work for less. The federal government is responding to high unemployment by tightening laws and enforcement against illegal immigrants; as are the states. This is understandable in business and also political terms, but any laws created or amended ought not to do so at the expense of everyone’s civil liberties or at the expense of one racialized group.