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New Yorkers Protest Arizona Immigration Law
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Apr 28, 2010
Modified Apr 28, 2010
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By
Jaya Saxena
Published Apr 28, 2010
Modified Apr 28, 2010
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Dozens of New Yorkers gathered at Federal Plaza to denounce the new Arizona immigration law, which makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally, and requires anyone whom police reasonably suspect to be an illegal alien (i.e. Mexicans) to produce documents of proof that they are citizens or legal residents. If they cannot, they will be "transferred immediately to the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement." Local immigrants are outraged at the possibility for racial profiling and Big Brother tactics. Queens resident Soledad Villacis told the Daily News, "Just because you eat guacamole and listen to Latin music doesn't mean you are undocumented."
The law [PDF], signed on Friday, has been gaining opponents from both parties. Karl Rove reportedly said, "I think there is [sic] going to be some constitutional problems with the bill," and he cited that "reasonable suspicion" could target people for anything, from "driving a car with a Mexican license plate or they can't speak English or they don't have a drivers license." President Obama has also come out against the bill, saying, "if you are a Hispanic American in Arizona, your great, great grandparents may have been there before Arizona was even a state. But now suddenly if you don’t have your papers and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you’re going to be harassed, that’s something that could potentially happen."
To further protest the law, a group of Latino Assembly members, including Adam Clayton Powell IV, will travel to Arizona and chain themselves to the border fence. Powell will also introduce a resolution in the Assembly calling for a halt on “engaging in any business with the state of Arizona until this racially discriminatory law is defeated." Opponents are even calling to move next year's MLB All Star game out of Phoenix, and for a boycott of Arizona Iced Tea, with one protester calling it "the drink of fascists." However, the drink is actually brewed in Nassau County. Perhaps they could boycott the fascist Cold Stone Creamery instead?
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arizona iced tea
arizona immigration bill
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