Arizona lawsuit: Proper or politics?
Arizona lawsuit: Proper or politics?
The Christian Science Monitor, in an editorial: "The Justice Department has filed suit in district court seeking to block an Arizona law that will force police to investigate the immigration status of anyone they reasonably suspect of being an illegal immigrant. ... President Obama could have saved the country a divisive legal battle by simply being tougher on border security, stepping up arrests of illegal migrants, and cracking down much harder on employers who hire illegal workers. But he hasn't done nearly enough on that score — mainly out of fear of a backlash from liberal Hispanic voters who will be critical in this fall's election. Such fear ... runs counter to the president's duty to uphold laws on immigration. ... Rather than see the Arizona law as an obstacle to better enforcement, Obama must start to work better with the states as partners."
The New York Times, in an editorial: "The Arizona law will divert resources from the government's pursuit of dangerous aliens, including terrorists, spies and violent criminals. It will harass authorized immigrants, visitors and citizens who might not be carrying their papers when stopped by the police. It will ignore the country's cherished protections of asylum and will interfere with national foreign policy interests. (Already several Mexican governors are refusing to meet with their American counterparts in Arizona.) ... Stamping out unjust laws like Arizona's is a good place to start."
The Washington Times, in an editorial: "It's President Obama's policy not to secure America's southern border. (This week), his administration filed suit against Arizona for its new law to try to enforce immigration statutes already on the books. This comes after the administration brought legal action against the Grand Canyon State for a 2007 law that strips business licenses away from companies that violate immigration laws. It's clear the White House is working to make states defenseless against an illegal invasion. ... This is change only illegals can believe in."
Marielena Hincapi, blogger and executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, on The Huffington Post: "By filing its lawsuit against Arizona, the Department of Justice carried out its duty of defending the rights of everyone in this country. It reminded the rogue state of Arizona — and any others that might want to follow suit — that immigration is a federal issue and states are pre-empted from acting as mini-nations and creating their own immigration laws. The United States of America vs. Arizona should be a clarion call for states that are considering adopting such hateful legislation intended to put a target on the backs of people of color: Do so at your own risk. The government of the United States will not and should not tolerate rogue states attempting to chip away at the Constitution."
Boston Herald, in an editorial: "It is fairly obvious that the Justice Department's legal challenge to Arizona's immigration law is far more about politics than it is about any vital defense of the U.S. Constitution. ... As the midterm elections approach, this administration continues its unending quest for wedge issues that will divide the electorate, and no doubt about it, this one does. Now there is much in the Arizona law that is ill-advised. But there is also no question that a state with an estimated 250,000 illegal immigrants (including a thriving drug cartel) is between the proverbial rock and a hard place. ... This isn't just bad law, it's bad politics too."
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