Activists seek to combat anti-immigrant sentiment in Arizona
Activists seek to combat anti-immigrant sentiment in Arizona
Published December 30, 2010
| EFE
Phoenix – A new group of activists intends to combat anti-immigrant sentiment in Arizona given the fear that in 2011 it will increase with bills like the ones being prepared by Republican state lawmaker Russell Pearce.
"We're a group of citizens concerned about the stance that Pearce could take starting in January now that he's the leader of the majority in the state senate," Randy Parraz, the organizer for Citizens for a Better Arizona, told Efe on Wednesday.
Parraz, a well-known activist, said he feels that Pearce should focus on the problems affecting the state and not on illegal immigration as he has been doing in recent years.
Pearce, 63, has been the driving force behind several of the harshest state laws against illegal immigration.
The most controversial of those laws has been SB1070, the first in the United States to criminalize the presence in the country of people "without papers."
SB1070, which went into effect last July 29, polarized the groups defending the rights of immigrants and those who support more severe laws against illegal immigration.
Currently, a decision is being awaited by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on an appeal filed by the state of Arizona requesting the immediate entry into force of the SB1070 clauses blocked by a federal judge, among them one that obligates local law enforcement agencies to verify the immigration status of people suspected of being undocumented.
Pearce also has been the main impetus behind several state laws like the one that prohibits granting driver's licenses to people who do not have a Social Security Number and another that denies public assistance to undocumented people along with the right to bail when arrested, among others.
The lawmaker said that as soon as the next legislative session begins in January he will present a state bill that seeks to reform the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which grants U.S. citizenship to any person born in U.S. territory without regard to the immigration status of his or her parents.
"Our main objective will be to inform the people all over the state about Pearce's ideas and about the effect that they could come to have on everyone," Parraz said.
He explained that Pearce, who represents District 18, was reelected last month by a margin of approximately 16,000 votes.
But now as leader of the state senate he will have great influence on the decisions taken that will affect the lives of all Arizona residents without regard to whether they voted for him or not.
"We're very concerned that this person (Pearce) does not have the ability to represent the values and the ideals that are best for Arizona," said Parraz, who also is organizing a second group named the East Valley Patriots for American Values, which will monitor the actions undertaken by Pearce, in particular, within the district he represents in Mesa.
Parraz is organizing an event on January 10 at the state capitol, where it is expected that more than 200 people will gather to present a document to Pearce in which they express their concern over his actions.
The activist, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. John McCain, said that if Pearce keeps his word and continues pushing anti-immigrant bills they are ready to begin a campaign to collect signatures to recall him.
Meanwhile, Pearce said in a message he sent to Efe that he was not worried by this type of group, adding that he will continue devoting himself to working in favor of the citizens of Arizona and enforcing U.S. laws.
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