"Such enforcement was not only a waste of national security resources, but a blatantly discriminatory action against a particular community of faith.
"Though the Arizona legislation is likely to mostly impact Latinos - whether documented or not - such an initiative is of great concern to Muslim Americans. Currently, four other states are considering passing laws similar to Arizona's bill. This not only has the potential to greatly impact the national debate on immigration reform, but also impact other minority communities whose immigration statuses may be suspect, including Muslim Americans.
"Illegal immigration is an issue of concern to all Americans, and has important implications for our national security and sovereignty. However enlisting state and local cops to enforce administrative law in a blatantly discriminatory way is not the best way forward. Instead a more just and comprehensive solution, such as those currently being debated in Congress, are the better way to go."
Mexican government slams Arizona immigration law
The Mexican government has bitterly criticized a tough immigration law approved this week by Arizona legislators, saying it could result in rights violations and racial profiling and affect cross-border relations.
The Associated Press quoted Mexico's Foreign Relations Department as saying that Mexico viewed the measure with great concern and said itcould have potentially serious effects on the civil rights of Mexican nationals.
"Mexico views with concern the possible negative effects the measure could have, if approved, on the development of the ties of friendship, culture, commerce and tourism that have characterized Mexico's relations with Arizona for generations," said the statement.
An estimated 11.8 million Mexicans live in the United States. A large percentage are undocumented, and Arizona has been one of the main routes for undocumented migration into the United States, the Associated Press said.
The New York Times adds:
Ironically, the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police and several sheriffs have also come out against the bill, calling it burdensome and an intrusion into a federal matter.
According to the New York Times, most police agencies or jails here already check the immigration status of people charged with a crime, in consultation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but the new law would expand that power and allows the police to stop people on the suspicion of being in the country without documents.
The New York times quoted that members of the Law Enforcement Engagement Initiative, a group of police leaders pressing for a federal overhaul of immigration law, as saying that they worried that other states would copy Arizona, despite the likelihood that the law will be challenged in federal court.
"Just because it is in Arizona doesn't mean it's likely to remain there," said George Gascón, the chief of the San Francisco Police Department and a former chief in Mesa, a Phoenix suburb. "We are very concerned about what could happen to public safety."
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