Highbrow Magazine - SB 1070 https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sb-1070 en Three Years After SB 1070, Fear of Police Remains Rampant https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/2301-three-years-after-sb-fear-police-remains-rampant <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 03/29/2013 - 09:43</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/2mediumsb1070.jpg?itok=1N6go1J_"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/2mediumsb1070.jpg?itok=1N6go1J_" width="480" height="268" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> From <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2013/03/fear-distrust-of-police-rampant-three-years-after-sb-1070.php">New America Media</a>:</p> <p>  </p> <p> PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Police pulling people over for minor infractions and asking for documents, rape victims too afraid to call the police, children living in fear of having their parents taken away. These were some of the stories shared by community members and immigrant advocates in Arizona, who testified before a state civil rights board this week on the enforcement of a state immigration law that they say has increased racial profiling and police mistrust.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “SB 1070 is being used as a tool to intimidate and hurt communities," said Lydia Guzman, the national chairman of the League of United Latin American Citizens’ (LULAC) Immigration Committee, to the board.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Almost three years after the bill was signed into law making it mandatory for police to contact immigration authorities if they suspect someone is in the country illegally, the Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board (ACRAB) heard testimony from undocumented immigrants themselves.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The board is a volunteer group of bipartisan members appointed by the governor that has the power to make recommendations to different state agencies, but doesn’t create policy.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Dan Pochoda, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said that a pronouncement from the board could have a deterrence effect, helping to curb racial profiling by law-enforcement agencies in the state.</p> <p>  </p> <p> For example, in 2008, the board wrote a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) urging an investigation into alleged racial profiling by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. It also asked immigration authorities to rescind a 287(g) agreement that allowed deputies to act as immigration officers. In both cases, pressure from the board as well as others yielded results, prompting a DOJ investigation and the reversal of the 287 (g) agreement.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “They can put pressure and make public statements, even if they can’t order a particular sheriff to change practices,” said Pochoda. Pochoda urged the board to recommend that law enforcement start tracking data and statistics of traffic stops to detect racial profiling and have policies to prohibit the referral of victims and witnesses of crimes to immigration authorities.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Board chairman Jeff Lavender said he would look into the possibility of making such a recommendation. Pochoda also addressed the situation of Dreamers, who are in the process of applying for deferred action, and sometimes are subject to detention by police officers who are unclear about their immigration status due to SB 1070 provisions.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Cesar Valdes, was pulled over by Phoenix police over his car’s registration – that turned out not to be expired- but was held for almost a full day until immigration could confirm he was applying for deferred action.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “There has to be something in place, because I’m not the only one,” said Valdes in his testimony. “There’s been several cases of Dreamers like me [who] have been detained and put in detention for more than 20 hours.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> Dulce Juarez, a coordinator of the immigrant rights project for ACLU, said the group has documented over 500 calls through its hotline since the implementation of SB 1070.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The ACLU has identified cases in which police questioned witnesses and victims of crimes about their immigration status, and passengers in vehicles with no reasonable suspicion of any crime being committed.</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediumundocumentedimmigrants_0.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 398px;" /></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>State of Fear </strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> The board heard a wide array of testimony that emphasized how SB 1070 has been used as an excuse to racially profile people or an intimidation tactic.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Guzman from LULAC testified about the case of an 11-year-old girl who was raped. The rape went unreported, and her pregnancy carried on as she lived under the threat that her rapist was going to report her family to immigration authorities. The case was finally reported to police when it come to Guzman’s attention.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “This could have been caught earlier,” Guzman said.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Several mothers testified about feeling unsafe. “I’m scared of taking my child to school, and I’m also afraid to go to the store. I’m worried about my husband when he goes to work, because I don’t know if he’ll return,” said Rosalba Posadas, an undocumented immigrant.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Others like Maria Vargas, are worried about the safety of their children in school. “We’re afraid of these people [who] are volunteers of the sheriff. We don’t know who they are and they’re patrolling our children’s schools,” said Vargas, referring to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office posse that mobilized in response to school shootings.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The majority of the testimonies detailed encounters with police officers by Latino citizens and immigrants, where the reason for the stop was a minor traffic violation or no violation at all. For those who are undocumented, it triggered a process of deportation.</p> <p>  </p> <p> SB 1070 was enjoined as soon as it took effect on July 29, 2010 by federal judge Susan Bolton in the District Court of Phoenix, blocking several parts of it including a provision that made it a state crime to be an undocumented immigrant. Another part -known as section “2b”- took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the injunction on June 2012, making it mandatory for police to ask for documents.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “It become very clear that the section 2b was really a legalization [of] racial profiling,” said Isabel Garcia, attorney and director of the pro-immigrant coalition Derechos Humanos in Tucson, Arizona.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Garcia added her voice to that of several other civil and human rights groups like the ACLU that have hotlines to document allegations of racial profiling and other forms of police abuse connected to immigration enforcement.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “The difference between Phoenix and Tucson is that in Tucson you’re deported within 2 hours,” she said, due to the proximity to Mexico and the presence of a Border Patrol station.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “We heard some very powerful stories, so many brave people [who came] here and admitted their status to us, “ she said. Flores was appointed to the board by former Democratic governor and now secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “I didn’t even know that there was a board,” said Viridiana Hernández, a founder of Team Awesome, a Latino vote mobilization group and a Dreamer. “What I hate about this forum is that we come and talk, it happens year [after] year. My question is what are you going to do as a Civil Rights Advisory Board?”</p> <p>  </p> <p> <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2013/03/fear-distrust-of-police-rampant-three-years-after-sb-1070.php">New America Media</a></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/sb-1070" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">SB 1070</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/arizona" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Arizona</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/arizona-immigration-laws" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">arizona immigration laws</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration-laws" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration laws</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/illegal-immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">illegal immigrants</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/police" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">police</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/detaining-illegal-immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">detaining illegal immigrants</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/us-mexico-border-0" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">us-mexico border</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/racial-profiling" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">racial profiling</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Valeria Fernandez</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">New America Media</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:43:08 +0000 tara 2601 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/2301-three-years-after-sb-fear-police-remains-rampant#comments After Recall, Arizona Considers More Humane Treatment of Immigrants https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/after-recall-arizona-considers-more-humane-treatment-immigrants <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Thu, 12/08/2011 - 14:48</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumarizona.jpg?itok=_j3ROIeM"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumarizona.jpg?itok=_j3ROIeM" width="480" height="268" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> From <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/news/">New America Media</a>: MESA, Ariz.--Now that the architect of Arizona’s harsh anti-immigrant bill (SB 1070) has been recalled by voters and no longer represents Mesa, a group of citizens wants to take the immigration issue up a notch. They propose that the city adopt guiding principles that focus on keeping immigrant families together and enforcing the law in a humanitarian way.</p> <p>  </p> <p> For over a year, the East Valley Patriots, a bipartisan faith-based organization, has pushed for Mesa to pass its own version of the Utah Compact, signed in that state in November 2010. The group is gaining momentum after the recall of Arizona Sen. Russell Pearce, who was defeated in District 18 by Jerry Lewis, another Republican.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Compact Opposes Dividing Families</strong></p> <p> The Mesa Compact stands in contrast to laws such as SB 1070, which made it a crime in Arizona subject to incarceration to be an undocumented immigrant. The statute was partially stayed by a federal court. The Mesa Compact says the city would follow the rule of law but oppose measures that would result in dividing families by deportation.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “Now is time to begin the healing process,” said Dan Martinez, of the East Valley Patriots during a public comment period at the Mesa City Council on Monday.</p> <p>  </p> <p> But not everyone agrees that the recall brought healing to the political divisions on immigration in one of Arizona’s most conservative cities.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “You don’t heal when you ask people to give up the rule of law,” said Bill Dowdy, 51 and a real estate agent. “There’s a common principle upon which this country was founded and it wasn’t to make exceptions to the law.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> Dowdy said he feels the recall group was spearheaded by outside interests that “stole his representative” and that adopting the Mesa Compact would be more of the same.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “They divided us more than anything they could have done,” he said.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Mormon Church Endorsed Utah Compact</strong></p> <p> Utah passed its Compact with the endorsement of the Mormon Church – which is also deeply rooted in Mesa, and counts former Sen. Pearce among its members.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “The church regards the declaration of the Utah Compact as a responsible approach to the urgent challenge of immigration reform. It is consistent with important principles for which we stand,” said the Mormon Church in a statement last year.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Sen. Lewis, a former Mormon bishop, also cited his support for the Compact during his campaign. However, some members of the Mormon Church in Mesa are not on board with adopting the Utah Compact.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “It will effectively make Mesa a sanctuary city,” said Courtney Snell, 59. He raised his eyebrows at the idea of his church supporting the Utah Compact. “They didn’t sign it,” he said. Snell also questioned the practical impact of adopting the principles.</p> <p>  </p> <p>  The Mesa Compact wouldn’t be legally binding, but a symbolic gesture, said Saúl Solis, a member of the East Valley Patriots.</p> <p>  </p> <p> If adopted in Mesa, it could be taken to other Arizona cities to build momentum. “It would be like a domino effect. Maybe it will take hold and it can be something to take to the state legislature,” said Solis. “We would like to see eventually that they won’t introduce any anti-immigrant bills.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Will Compact Be on January Agenda? </strong></p> <p> The Mesa Human Relations Advisory Board, a citizens’ committee, voted unanimously to adopt and recommend the Mesa Compact to the City Council last May.</p> <p>  </p> <p> But is up to the City Council to decide whether it wants to put this item on their agenda to discuss and possibly vote on at its January meeting.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “There’s got to be a solution; there has to be an answer. You think of all the things that we have in this world that we can’t agree on. This should be one that we can come up and find some sort of solution,” said Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, following public comments at the Monday meeting.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Smith, who wasn’t available for an interview, said in a previous report by New America Media that he supports the Utah Compact but that it was “unwise” to take something crafted for Utah and try to apply it in Arizona.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “In this discussion in Mesa, you need to be very careful not to incite flames that have been somewhat lessened,” he said.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Randy Parraz, cofounder of Citizens for a Better Arizona and one of the key people behind the Pearce recall, also addressed the City Council during the public comment section.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “Tonight is not about whether or not you support the Mesa Compact. It is whether you support the right of an issue like this to come from the bottom up, from actual citizens who would like you to consider it,” Parraz said.</p> <p> --<a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2011/12/after-recall-arizona-considers-humane-treatment-of-immigrants.php">New America Media</a></p> <p> <em><strong>Photo on the main page: ColorLines</strong></em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/arizona" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Arizona</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/sen-russell-pearce" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Sen. Russell Pearce</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/recall" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">recall</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/utah-compact" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Utah Compact</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/sb-1070" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">SB 1070</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Valeria Fernandez</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">New America Media</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:48:00 +0000 tara 304 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/after-recall-arizona-considers-more-humane-treatment-immigrants#comments