Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton blocked key parts of Arizona’s “papers please” law, SB 1070. While this is an important step towards justice, there is still much work to be done. Below are reactions from some of our partners and allies.
First, an update from Shuya Ohno who was on the ground in Arizona on the 103rd consecutive night of vigil outside of the State Capitol :
The vigil is having a constant flow of speakers and clergy and we are now starting a mass.
The national, local, and international media crush is heavy and constant. The news choppers overhead are a nuisance.
The ladies who have been maintaining this vigil were crying when I finally got here. Families have been sharing how they can breathe again, how they can sit at a table and eat together again without the fear gnawing at them.
Still, the line at the Mexican consulate of people trying to get dual-citizenship applications for their US citizen children, in preparation for possible deportation, went around the block today.
There is brass band playing now, with vigilers singing along. The heat is sweltering, but mood is festive. Most of us are too busy to celebrate, everyone is working hard in preparation of the next 36 hours filled with events and programs. Looks like most of us are sleeping out here in front of the Capitol tonight.
Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum:
We are grateful the Department of Justice filed suit and the President has voiced his condemnation of SB1070, but it is time for the President to take a more forceful lead on this issue and for Republicans in the United States Senate to come to the negotiating table in good faith. The federal government must lead on immigration reform and it must do so immediately. To delay only invites other jurisdictions to follow in Arizona’s misguided footsteps, and leaves the underlying problem – our dysfunctional immigration system – to worsen.
Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
The tragic fact is that the judicial system was forced to intervene and impose adult supervision in response to the irresponsible and divisive behavior by the elected officials who currently run Arizona. The state legislature approved this bill on a party-line vote, ensuring a divisive debate and heated fallout. Republican Governor Jan Brewer signed this odious bill into law, plunging Arizona further into crisis. And the two Arizona Republican Senators – Senators McCain and Kyl – are blocking badly needed federal reforms they once championed. Thankfully, the Founding Fathers created checks and balances to rein in this kind of unconstitutional and un-American legislation.
Short and sweet from Deepak Bhargava, Executive Director of the Center for Community Change:
The court said that the federal government is in charge. It’s time they start acting like it.
From Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR:
We cannot focus on false solutions. Today’s ruling makes clear that the power to pass effective comprehensive immigration reform lies with the president and Congress. If the two senators from Arizona would step up, then we could deliver the solution that Arizona and the nation need. The effects of this law have already spread to other states that believe they can tackle the problem, but solutions must be made at the federal level, and Washington needs to act.
Categories: Arizona
