Thread: Arizona's top cop vows to fight any U.S. bid to quash immigr

Arizona's top cop vows to fight any U.S. bid to quash immigration law

Atty. Gen. Terry Goddard says he has urged Justice Department officials not to sue. Busloads of activists are heading to Phoenix to protest.

LA Times
By Teresa Watanabe
May 28, 2010

As opponents of Arizona's tough new immigration law prepare a weekend of protests, the state's chief attorney vowed Friday to "fight back vigorously" if the Obama administration files legal action to stop its implementation.

Atty. Gen. Terry Goddard said he met Friday with a Justice Department official, who informed him of possible legal action and asked for his input.

Speaking at a Phoenix news conference, Goddard said he urged the administration not to sue, because five other legal challenges are pending.

The law, set to take effect July 29, will require police to determine whether people they stop are in the country illegally.

Addressing concerns about racial profiling, Goddard also said he told the Justice Department official that Arizona police would enforce the law in a "fair and highly professional manner."

The state is preparing a 90-minute video to train 16,000 police officers on the legal and constitutional standards involved in implementing the law, he said.

A federal lawsuit, Goddard said, would detract from efforts to fight crime and secure the border against illegal immigration, which surged 70% in Arizona from 2000 to 2008. Several polls have shown widespread support for the law in Arizona and nationwide.

"We need solutions from Washington, not more lawsuits," Goddard said.

Hannah August, a Justice Department spokeswoman, stressed that Arizona officials were not told there would definitely be a federal lawsuit and that department officials were in the state primarily to "ask questions and listen and discuss" the matter with authorities.

"We continue to have concerns that the law drives a wedge between law enforcement and the communities they serve and are examining it to see what options are available to the federal government," she said.

In a series of Memorial Day weekend events, immigrant rights advocates are preparing to march in Arizona, debate new legislative strategies in an emergency summit there and protest against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Los Angeles.

Busloads of more than 200 labor, religious and civil rights activists left Los Angeles on Friday for Phoenix, where they plan to join as many as 50,000 others in protesting the law.

On Sunday, more than 100 leaders from major Latino organizations will convene in Phoenix to debate new strategies for winning some kind of immigration reform this year.

[b]They are close to pushing a new approach as hopes dim for passage of comprehensive legislation that would overhaul key pieces of the entire system and legalize the nation's estimated 11 million unauthorized migrants.[b]

[b]Many members of the National Latino Congreso, which represents more than 500 organizations, have become impatient with the Senate's failure to introduce a comprehensive bill and will debate shifting toward an incremental strategy pushing smaller measures, according to Antonio Gonzalez of the William C. Velasquez Institute, a nonprofit public policy analysis organization.[b]

Activists are particularly pushing measures to grant legal status to undocumented college students and farmworkers, both of which are backed by powerful interests.

[b]The so-called Dream Act, which would offer legal status to undocumented youths who attend college or join the military, is now included and buried in the Pentagon's strategic plan for fiscal years 2010-12 as a way to maintain the nation's all-volunteer military.[b]

[b]And agribusiness has teamed up with the United Farm Workers union, along with U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), to push a bill to provide a stable supply of legal farm workers.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... feedburner

teresa.watanabe@latimes.com

Tell'um to stick it and get citizen-led iniatives referendums every which way to Sunday as a response to the continued pink-slipping of 1776ers.

President Obama, alias President Soetoro bows to the Chinese government and apologizes for the Arizona law, when China will put a bullet through your head if you cross their borders, and actually Mexico will do the same thing. Pitiful CIA mind controlled, once specimen of a man that President Soetoro is. But we have to deal with him for a while longer, if there is a 2012 election.

Not only is Washington NOT enforcing our laws, but they are trying to keep others from enforcing theirs...How dispicable is this Obama administration and the Feds?
They are just itching to help Mexico invade the U S.

While these idiots are marching in the hot AZ sun and planing the demise/take over of our country we will be remembering our fallen Heros.

Men and Women who put their lives on the line to protect our country,our freedom and our way of life.

Then,while these anti Americans are throwing their hissy fits,true United States Patriots will be enjoying a Traditional National Holiday with friends and family.Including a picnic/cookout with Hot Dogs,Hamburgers,Potatoe Salad,Apple Pie w/Beer,soft drinks or Lemonade to wash it all down.

Don't any of these idiots know there is a 2005 Supreme Court case saying it's legal to ask for proof of citizenship.

Figures our own president, with his spiffy Harvard degree, doesn't have a clue what the law says. Oh, and our Attorney General. Oh, and the head of DHS. I wonder if they ever feel stupid from knowing so little? Or they just can't read. I guess the narcissism covers it up.

Originally Posted by laughinglynx

Don't any of these idiots know there is a 2005 Supreme Court case saying it's legal to ask for proof of citizenship.

Figures our own president, with his spiffy Harvard degree, doesn't have a clue what the law says. Oh, and our Attorney General. Oh, and the head of DHS. I wonder if they ever feel stupid from knowing so little? Or they just can't read. I guess the narcissism covers it up.

Do you know the name of that law?

Added to Homepage

http://www.alipac.us/article-5310--0-0.html

The DREAM Act students are the people most qualified to assist their legal home countries by moving back home.

Hannah August, a Justice Department spokeswoman, stressed that Arizona officials were not told there would definitely be a federal lawsuit and that department officials were in the state primarily to "ask questions and listen and discuss" the matter with authorities.

"We continue to have concerns that the law drives a wedge between law enforcement and the communities they serve and are examining it to see what options are available to the federal government," she said.

There is no wedge between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Local law enforcement serves its local communities. The local communities want their local law enforcement to enforce the laws. That's why we have the laws to begin with. That's why we pay taxes to pay people who work in law enforcement to enforce them.

There is a wedge though, and that's the wedge between the communities of the United States and the US government. We're sick of you, we're tired of your games with our money, our rights, our lives and our country.