Arizona bill S.B. 1070

The Arizona bill, also known as the "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act" and signed into law by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on April 23rd, 2010, is aimed at aiding law enforcement in detaining and deporting Illegal Immigrants and ending unlawful employment of Illegal Immigrants. The bill has caused immense controversy throughout the United States, sparking a boycott from San Francisco, as well as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg stating the bill "could have a chilling effect on international business travel, investment, and tourism in that state, as many people from around the world may think twice before visiting Arizona and subjecting themselves to potential run-ins with the police ." Yet, polls show the majority of Arizonians and Americans both support the bill,.

In response to the controversy, Governor Jan Brewer signed a bill revising S.B. 1070. The revision reinforced provisions in the bill preventing law enforcement from using race or ethnicity as a basis to question persons about their status as a legal immigrant. The revision also states that questions of a persons status must follow a police officer's stopping, detaining, or arresting a person while enforcing another law. However, the follow up bill states that suspected violations of local civil ordinance allows police to question suspects on their immigration status.  

Arguments
This piece of legislation has become a hot topic on board 261, spawning many topics and discussions about its pros and cons. Support for the bill places a higher priority on the end of illegal immigration and the problems it causes, opposition for the bill places a higher priority on civil liberties.

Proponents
Supporters of the bill claim that it allows the state to enforce what is already federal law, and while the bill may be enforced in a racially biased manner, the bill itself explicitly states race is not legally allowed to be used in the enforcement of the law. The revision issues by Governor Jan Brewer can be used to strengthen this argument.

Further, supporters state that this bill works in another way: it scares illegal immigrants into leaving.

Opponents
Those opposing the bill claim that the bill encourages officers to target hispanics with racial profiling. Under the bill, officers are allowed to question a person about their immigration status if they have reasonable suspicion that the person is an illegal immigrant. Opponents specifically target this: how can an officer reasonable suspect that a person is an illegal immigrant without considering the color of their skin?

Opponents of the bill also point towards the revision in the follow up bill allowing police officers to question persons about their immigration status if they are suspected as having violated civil ordinance as a reduction of civil liberties.