Arizona's new get-tough anti-immigration laws

When local jurisdictions take on immigration, they claim to do so because the federal government has failed to take action. These moves, along with calls from Latino voters and immigration advocates, increase the stakes on the Obama administration for a long-requested and much-needed overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws.


Yesterday Arizona became the latest state to move ahead with tough anti-illegal-immigrant legislation. It is widely considered to be the most stringent in the states. The legislation would allow Arizona's police to have broad powers to check the legal status of people they reasonably suspect are illegal immigrants.


As we in Virginia have observed, "reasonably suspicious" can be interpreted differently. It can include any person DWL (driving while Latino) or the result of an arrest for a distinct offense.  It also opens the possibility that Arizona residents will suffer violations of their civil rights.


Under the new law, Arizona police would be authorized to arrest immigrants who are unable to show documents authorizing their presence in the country.  It would also leave drivers open to sanctions in some cases for knowingly transporting an illegal immigrant, even a relative. Most troubling, the legislation expressly forbids cities from adopting “sanctuary” policies that restrict the police and public workers from immigration enforcement (though it is a matter of debate if any cities have such policies).


It's a scary time to be an immigrant in the U.S.  If state and local laws like the ones passed in Arizona aren't reason enough for Congress to get moving on immigration reform, I don't know what is.

Massachusetts to Craft Immigration Plan

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick urged state residents to avoid getting mired in "the usual debate" over illegal immigration as he charged his cabinet with the task of crafting a better plan for integrating all foreign-born residents into the state's daily fabric. And he wants it in 90 days.  The governor's address came at the unveiling of a State House report with 131 recommendations on ways to improve the lives of immigrants, the New Americans Agenda.  Immigrants make up 14% of the state's population.

The New Americans Agenda recommendations include expanded English classes and job training for any immigrant who needs them.  The report also urged the governor to push for two steps that are sometimes considered controversial: extending in-state tuition at public colleges and driver's licenses for immigrants here without legal authorization. Most immigrants in Massachusetts are documented.  Nearly half are naturalized US citizens and more are legal residents; only about 1 in 5 are lack legal documentation.

These recommendations offer a remarkably pragmatic and humanitarian approach to immigrants.  It is also remarkable in that it attempt to meet the needs of immigrants as people who are contributing to the daily life of the state.