Immigration Law Passed, But Will It Last?

Arizona Republican Governor Jan Brewer signed the country’s harshest immigration law into effect on Friday, April 23. Arizona’s Republican-controlled state senate passed the immigration law requiring police officers to determine whether any person is an illegal immigrant based on reasonable suspicion.

According to The Washington Post, the new law that will be put into effect 90 days after the current legislative session will require police officers to arrest any person who cannot provide documentation proving they are in the country legally. Any person who fails to show the proper identification will be subject to six months in prison and a fine of $2,500.

Brewer claims that the new immigration law will help to protect Arizona against drug cartels and other threats. According to The Washington Post, Brewer stated, “It protects all of us, every Arizona citizen and everyone here in our state lawfully, and it does so while ensuring that the constitutional rights of all in Arizona remain solid.”

Many opponents are planning on legally challenging the law. According to The Washington Post, protesters were outside the signing of the bill carrying signs saying “We Are Human” and “Enough is Enough.” Protesters were also outside the state capital on Monday, April 24, smearing refried beans on swastikas in protest of the new law.   

Challengers of the law believe it will foster racial profiling and discrimination. According to The Washington Post, Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza said, “The passage of [the bill] will legitimize racial profiling in Arizona and it goes against our laws and our values as a country.”

Activists are planning on challenging the law on the basis that the law infringes on the federal authority’s regulation of immigration and violates constitutional rights. The White House has yet to deny or confirm the possibility of administrative action. Mexican President Felipe Calderon has confirmed that Arizona’s immigration law will greatly impact Mexico's relations with the state; trade and political ties will be cut off.

According to CNN, the law will require all Arizona police officers to undergo training on how to implement the new law without profiling. Brewer has stated, “This training will include what does not constitute reasonable suspicion that a person is not legally present in the United States.”

Prior to this law, police officers could only check the status of a suspected illegal immigrant if they were suspected of another crime.

According to The Washington Post, Alessandra Meetze, executive director of The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, said, “If you look or sound foreign, you are going to be subjected to never-ending requests for police to confirm your identity and to confirm your citizenship.” The law will make it illegal to be an immigrant in Arizona.

Not long after the law was signed, President Barack Obama said, “If we continue to fail to act at a federal level, we will continue to see misguided effects opening up around the country,” said The Washington Post.