First, they said no to MLK Day... Now this.

[MrLabGuy]

I'm closer on this with Krimson. While I think illegal immigration is MAJOR problem especially being in California I see this as a slippery Slope. Any Conservative who believes the Government should stay out of our lives and not take away our freedom should be against this. Could you imagine checkpoints where government officials check our "papers"? What stops them from expanding this to just about anything?

Now what I don't mind is locking up and deporting illegal aliens when discovered after being caught violating the law or some other instance where their status is discovered.

Now some might say they are already breaking the law and I agree...But you can't assume someone is breaking the law just because. It would be like police pulling over people who drive high performance vehicles or highly modified cars because they assume you were speeding. Not because they witnessed the violation but because studies show people with performance cars speed more often than people with economy cars. We fit the profile.

I don't want a government who checks everyone's papers just because they want to ask to see them.

Let's get serious about cracking down on illegal immigration but let's not stomp on the rights of Americans and sets a precedent for unreasonable search and seizure.

Did I just agree with Krimson? OMG!

[Krimson X]

Originally Posted by MrLabGuy

Did I just agree with Krimson? OMG!

[Weasel]

I think they would only check papers etc. if they have reason to suspect... not like multiple random checkpoints permanently scattered throughout. But if you happen to be standing in a group of hispanics in front the Home Depot looking for work, or obviously don't speak a lick of english when spotted at the corner store then yeah you should be checked. And every single legal immigrant I know would be on board with this as they went through all necessary legal steps to come here and don't like all the problems caused by the constant influx of illegals.

[Krimson X]

From George Will's April 28, 2010 Washington Post column:

Non-Hispanic Arizonans of all sorts live congenially with all sorts of persons of Hispanic descent. These include some whose ancestors got to Arizona before statehood -- some even before it was a territory. They were in America before most Americans' ancestors arrived. Arizonans should not be judged disdainfully and from a distance by people whose closest contacts with Hispanics are with fine men and women who trim their lawns and put plates in front of them at restaurants, not with illegal immigrants passing through their back yards at 3 a.m.

[nom3rcy]

Have any of you that are against this actually read the law?

[Krimson X]

Originally Posted by nom3rcy

Have any of you that are against this actually read the law?

Yes.

[Krimson X]

An easy solution to the Arizona law is to neutrialze the percieved racial component of the law. Make it routine that officers must ascertain the residencey status of all persons stopped by an officer after "legal contact", not just those that they suspect are here illegally. I don't think it would stop profiling, but it would lessen the constitutional scrutiny.

[nom3rcy]

Originally Posted by Krimson X

An easy solution to the Arizona law is to neutrialze the percieved racial component of the law. Make it routine that officers must ascertain the residencey status of all persons stopped by an officer after "legal contact", not just those that they suspect are here illegally. I don't think it would stop profiling, but it would lessen the constitutional scrutiny.

I would be fine with that. LEO grabs my license, runs my name through the federal database and sees I was born here, writes me my speeding ticket, and lets me go on my way.

I don't see how this is such a big deal. People who aren't born here are required to carry their 'papers' anyway.

[nom3rcy]

I'm not going to answer those silly questions. The law is in plain English.

To me this is the same as being asked for a driver's license. The cop takes it back to his car and runs a check on it.

Since you are a real citizen (not illegal) you don't have anything to worry about.

In no way does this infringe upon any rights of ours, and believe me if it did I would be the first to object to it.

The fact is, immigration is a problem as you admit and we need to do SOMETHING about it. Asking someone their status after they are already pulled over is the LEAST we can do.

[Krimson X]

Originally Posted by nom3rcy

I'm not going to answer those silly questions. The law is in plain English.

To me this is the same as being asked for a driver's license. The cop takes it back to his car and runs a check on it.

Since you are a real citizen (not illegal) you don't have anything to worry about.

In no way does this infringe upon any rights of ours, and believe me if it did I would be the first to object to it.

The fact is, immigration is a problem as you admit and we need to do SOMETHING about it. Asking someone their status after they are already pulled over is the LEAST we can do.

Those questions are far from silly. They are the basis of criminal procedure law in this country. Those questions protect you from unreasonable search and seizure. The law, as written, does not require probable cause or reasonable suspicion for "lawful contact" other than to determine the immigration status of an individual.

I may not have anything to worry about, but there are hundreds of thousands of Mexican/Hispanic-Americans living in Arizona that do.