Tucson police officer’s SB 1070 suit dismissed by court

Luke Witman, Tucson Immigration Examiner
December 3, 2011

A Tucson police officer, who sued the state of Arizona over SB 1070 and its requirement that state and local law enforcement figures must enforce federal immigration law, has now seen his lawsuit dismissed by a federal appeals court in Phoenix. The officer, Martin Escobar, was disciplined by his superiors early last year, after refusing to enforce 1070 on the grounds that it impeded on the civil rights of those in his community. He sued the state, arguing that the law unfairly requires police officers to engage in racial profiling, and that it generally impedes his ability to effectively combat criminal activity. On Friday, the court threw out Escobar’s suit, arguing that he does not have legal standing to challenge the law.

Although Escobar may have been the first law enforcement authority to officially challenge his state’s immigration law, he is not alone in his criticism. Many police officials throughout the country are growing dissatisfied with laws such as 1070, as well as the federal Secure Communities program, which effectively transform state and local police into federal immigration law enforcers.

In October, Lake County, Ill., Sheriff Mark Curran spoke with journalist Maria Hinojosa on the Frontline documentary, “Lost in Detention,â€