Arizona Emigration Assault Creates a Police State

Arizona just passed legislation that creates America's first "police state." Every citizen will be required to carry proof of citizenship. If the police officer has some non profiling reason to think you are not a citizen he can ask you for proof of your citizenship. If you can not do so, then you can be jailed. I assume the courts would allow you the ability to retrieve your passport or birth certificate to free you from custody. Since I usually don't have a tan and don't speak Spanish, I guess I'm safe, or am I? After all, the law says it can not be discriminatory when apply the law. In order to prove that it is not discriminatory, they must then ask those obvious of northern European heritage for proof as well, or it will be in violation of federal non-discrimination law. Therefore, don't forget to pack you passport if you travel to Arizona now.

Yes, we need a national emigration policy that addresses the issue of the millions of illegals that are here and are not criminals and are working hard to provide for their families. Of course improving our security of our borders is required, but a huge wall will not do the job. However, an effective, accurate, and easy to use work eligibility website system for employment would work best. But it has to be up to date and accurate or employers will not use it or qualified workers maybe passed over because of errors in the system.

As an employer, the current system is not working. It is nearly impossible to qualify a potential employee's status. Even the electronic I-9 system is full of holes and errors. But with that said, a comprehensive plan that allows those who wish to remain to pay a penalty and obtain a green card with in time eligibility for citizenship, if they have not committed a felony crime and is gainfully employed. There are many very fine people who came here in desperation due to their economic, social and political situations in their home countries.

Unless you have walked in their shoes, you can not judge the relevance of their claim of need to remain in this country. Additionally, most have had children born in this country and by birth right are American citizens. Should the family now be broken up with the American citizen children turned over to foster care and the parents and maybe siblings are deported. For many of these children they know nothing of their parents home country and are as American as you or I, should they be deported with their parents to a country where they may not speak the language well, don't know the culture and are marginalized. Is that fair to them as American citizens?

Of course the larger issue for the border states is the rising violence perpetrated by Mexican nationals in the drug trade. Hostage taking, shootouts between drug cartel smugglers, and the human traffickers. This is a statement of the failure of our "war on drugs" policy. But that is another argument to be addressed, however, a critical one if we are to stop the violence in the border towns. We also see the spill over of the drug and human trafficking violence here in Utah. But creating a situation that the Latino population fear reporting problems to the police and otherwise not cooperating for fear of not having their green card on them or other proper documents, can hamper police investigations.That puts all of us at risk.

For me, I will avoid traveling to Arizona or doing business with any entity within Arizona. Their law is draconian and unconstitutional. We have never required citizens to carry "papers" that allows them to travel, purchase goods, or do normal functions of life. Let's not start now.