Plymouth City Council weighs in on Arizona immigration law

Friday, September 17, 2010

By Scott Thomas Anderson


lymouth may be a small city, but its elected officials are making a statement about a big controversy.

On Sept. 9, the Plymouth City Council voted 3-1 to approve a resolution that would support Arizona's Senate Bill 1070 and House Bill 2162, which provide law enforcement with new powers in determining an individual's immigration and citizen status.

The new law has received continued backing from Arizona's Republican Gov. Jan Brewer, despite triggering public showdowns on nearly every level of the American political spectrum. Arizona lawmakers are still grappling with how to handle enacting the legislation, parts of which have been struck down by a federal court judge, as well as criticized by President Obama.

Plymouth City Council got involved with the debate after councilman Mike O'Meara recently traveled to Tucson and was startled by conversations he had with residents about crime and violence related to the border. O'Meara proposed a resolution which would send a letter of support to Brewer regarding the immigration law.

On Sept. 9, councilmembers O'Meara, Pat Fordyce and Greg Baldwin all voted for the resolution. Long-time council member John Colburn voted against it. Councilmember Patricia Shackleton was not present for the vote. Fordyce said that before the decision was made, City Manager Dixon Flynn observed that voting to support the law was not the general trend among most California cities - some of which have passed official boycotts against the state of Arizona - and warned that the intention of the resolution could be misinterpreted by some.

"The resolution was written in a way that talks about the rights of states to take care of their people when the federal government isn't doing its job," Fordyce told the Ledger Dispatch Wednesday. "That's the issue we're voting on. It's not a vote about Latinos. It's a vote about a state's rights. Plymouth has all kinds of nationalities and a strong Hispanic base in the Shenandoah Valley."

Baldwin agreed with Fordyce, adding that violent crimes around the border caused by Mexican drug cartels played a major role in his support. "I think it's sad when the federal government won't do what it's supposed to do," he said, "and what results is lawlessness in a place like Tucson, where people can't even drive down the road because the danger is so great."

Baldwin is aware that Arizona's law has been highly politicized, which could lead to Plymouth coming under fire from groups in the community for its resolution. "Look, my adopted son is half-Mexican," Baldwin said. "I love the Mexican people. This is not about whether Mexicans are good people or good citizens, it's about enforcing our borders and making sure immigrants come here legally, the way my family did."

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