Lawmakers in several states are crafting immigration laws similar to SB 1070, passed by our Arizona Legislature and signed by Gov. Jan Brewer last month, even as Barack Obama questions the law’s legitimacy.
At least eight states — Utah, Oklahoma, Ohio, Missouri, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, and Maryland — reportedly are considering legislation similar to Arizona’s law, which allows police to determine a person’s immigration status following a “lawful stop, detention, or arrest.” Of those looking to follow our lead, Texas is the only border state — making clear the pervasiveness of the issue of illegal aliens gaining unlawful access throughout the United States.
“This legislation mirrors federal laws regarding immigration enforcement,” Gov. Brewer said when she signed the bill into law. ” Despite erroneous and misleading statements suggesting otherwise, the new state misdemeanor crime of willful failure to complete or carry an alien registration document is adopted verbatim from the same offense found in federal statute.”
The number of bills introduced this year so far is more than the first quarter of 2009, when 50 states considered 1,040 bills and resolutions, and only 25 states passed 35 laws and adopted 40 resolutions.
The NCSL notes that state laws related to immigration have increased dramatically in recent years:
In 2006, 570 bills were introduced, 84 laws were enacted and 12 resolutions adopted.
In 2007, 1,562 bills were introduced, 240 laws were enacted and 50 resolutions adopted. In 2008, 1,305 bills were introduced, 206 laws were enacted and 64 resolutions adopted. In 2009, more than 1,500 bills were introduced, 222 laws were enacted and 131 resolutions adopted.
Read more here.
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) reports that state legislatures continue to tackle immigration issues at an unprecedented rate. In the first quarter of this year, state legislators in 45 states had introduced 1,180 bills and resolutions relating to immigrants and refugees. As of March 31, 2010, 34 state legislatures had passed 107 laws and adopted 87 resolutions; 38 bills were pending signatures on governors’ desks. (Montana, Nevada, North Dakota and Texas are not in regular session in 2010, and North Carolina’s legislative session began in May.
Seeing Red AZ 
If several States follow Arizonian’s lead passing and enforcing tougher illegal-immigration laws, the states that don’t follow could go broke.
States that strongly enforce the new immigration laws, could cause illegal immigrants to migrate to states with the weakest laws and enforcement. The weaker enforcement states could receive burgeoning populations of illegal immigrants and find their government budgets unable to pay the costs of providing illegal immigrants, medical services, schooling, increased jail and law enforcement among an endless list of increased expenses. Imagine broke California receiving 3-million more illegal immigrants. It is foreseeable States that lack strong enforcement of illegal immigration laws may hugely raise state income taxes to support an influx of illegal immigrants; higher taxes will drive many income earners from those states, worsening a state’s budge crisis.
Internal policing of law abiding citizens has always been performed by internal police forces of totalitarian nations. What made the US different from other nations pretty much forever, was there was no Ministry of the Interior.
Secure the borders, but leave citizens alone and secure in their persons AND PAPERS, unless a warrant has been issued. (IV Amendment to constitution).
You cannot simultaneously believe and not believe in the constitution at the same time.
[…] Pittsburgh Tribune. His commentary deals with our great state of Arizona and the new law, which is being emulated across the nation. Most importantly, Beck exposes the left’s relentlessly repeated lies concerning provisions of […]
I am an Arizona resident and completely support AZ SB1070. Those who have irrational opposition should read the law. The law as enacted follows Federal law, Federal law that the Federal Government has refused to enforce for years.
When the Feds refuse to enforce the law individual states are left to do the work for them. States are suffering budget woes in part caused by the Feds enacting laws that the States are left having to carry out. Illegal invasion adds to the burden.
If one spends time researching bills passed by many states in an attempt to thwart the woes brought to the states by the assault of recent migration from South of the border one would be dismayed at the time spent enacting bills related to the problems.
Overwhelming Americans support reasonable, well controlled immigration. Most Americans do not support the assault of illegal migration. I suggest to all to read MEChA national Webpage for an informative view of the intent, reason for the migration.
The illegal migration is inflicting billions of dollars cost to not only Arizona but all of the United States in the form of education, healthcare, law enforcement, revenue sent back to Mexico and the list goes on.
My suggestion to all who oppose Arizona SB1070 spend some time educating yourself. I suspect that if you do you will less likely to hold views that SB1070 is racist and instead understand that Arizona is trying to 1) protect itself and 2) help to protect the rest of the United States and 3) enforce Federal laws.
In other words educate yourself before being critical of Arizona.
I don’t mean to imply that the state of Arizona is off the hook for re-evaluating its self with regards to reflection of its obligation to do due diligence when enacting laws that by nature may be racist. SB1070 is not racist.
Ask yourself why the Federal Government has chosen for years to not protect our borders. I believe the reason is its relentless effort to create a North American Union (NAU). Then ask yourself if you are willing to give up an sovereign United States. I think not. Our constitution would be gutted in order to have this happen.
I predict, perhaps not in my life time (I am an older American) that the United States will experience race wars and a war to over throw the government of the United States, do we want this to happen? I think not.
Educate yourself and then contact your state representative to secure our borders and enforce reasonable immigration based on the rule of law.
One last thought. When the Ronald Reagan administration granted amnesty for illegals residing in the US they estimated the illegal population to be around 300,000 souls. The actual number registering was more than 3,000,000. The enactment of amnesty for illegals at that time did not stem the tide. Secure borders can stem the tide and so can Arizona’s SB1070 aide in that effort.
Educate yourself on the issue before you act, then get involved.
[…] other states are looking at ways to follow our lead. Read this for additional […]