Arizona immigration bill: Mayor Gordon (D) says Phoenix may sue

[pampango]

Source: AZCentral.com

Thrusting Arizona's largest city into the immigration debate, Mayor Phil Gordon on Friday said Phoenix may file a lawsuit to halt the toughest law in the nation targeting illegal immigration. The Democratic mayor said he has requested the City Council on Tuesday to consider suing the state on grounds the new immigration law is "unconstitutional" and "unenforceable."

Michael Nowakowski, the council's lone Hispanic, said he's concerned the law could expose the city to costly racial-profiling lawsuits at a time it's already struggling with massive budget cuts.

He said authorities should enforce the law uniformly by asking every person stopped by police for proof of citizenship. Nowakowski, a Democrat, also wants President Obama to intervene, though it's unclear what powers he has over state law.

Not all council members are on board. Councilman Sal DiCiccio, a Republican, said Phoenix has an obligation to follow the law, calling a potential lawsuit a "mistake." He said he was confident Phoenix police could enforce the law without discriminating against minorities.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/04/23/20100423arziona-immigration-bill-mayor-gordon.html

[rurallib]

1. "Sal DiCiccio, a Republican, said Phoenix has an obligation to follow the law"

Bet this same dumbfuck is 100% behind the state suing the US government over health care.

[LetsgoWings13]

6. +1

[MaineDem]

15. That was my first thought exactly. n/t

[saigon68]

27. Don't bring that up about this cretin

You know he marches to that tune LOL

(Good Point)

[DumbBassRepublicans]

29. Does this mean....

I HAVE TO HAVE A PASSPORT, TO REGISTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX..??
LOL...!!!:evilgrin:

[Warpy]

2. Just think how they motivated all legal Hispanics to register

so they can vote against the GOP this November.

Just think of all the other minorities of color, including all the tribes.

Just think, it might be enough to keep that asshole Hayworth out of the Senate.

I don't know what the GOP is high on, except xenophobia and arrogance, but this could possibly be their undoing.

It's not playing really well here in NM, either. My mostly Hispano neighbors are spitting nails.

[vduhr]

17. I live in New Mexico too...

I highly doubt that they would try something like that here. I saw Richardson on Rachel Maddow tonight and he said he opposed the bill, and that we have the same problem here, although not as bad. I question why Arizona seems to be the only State claiming that they have a big problem with illegal immigrants committing crimes. Not that I'm trying to deny that there is problem with immigrant crime, just wondering why Arizona claims to have the biggest problem. Maybe I'm missing something - anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Regardless, it's wrong to think that racial profiling is an answer. My son is part Greek. Although he is Scotch, Irish, Welsh, German and French too, his Greek ancestry is very strong and people have thought he was Hispanic, and even Middle-Eastern. He's in a band and I've told him that I would worry if he gets another gig in Arizona, and what "papers" would he have to show that he is an American citizen? Have they specified that in the law?

[Bette Noir]

26. After writing the governor and the director of tourism

that I wouldn't visit Arizona until the law was repealed or overturned, I realized that I might have to go through Arizona on my way to other places. I put my passport in my purse.

Ronald Reagan was right-- I'm sitting here, remembering when Americans were free. He was wrong about thinking that it would be Medicare that would end our freedom, though. It's racism and xenophobia that did it.

[Warpy]

28. I really love NM. Most people here are mongrels

I'm a mutt, myself, thanks to the fact that my family were sailors, scholars and itinerant musicians.

And no, there is no way they could pass such an incredibly stupid law here, where northern European white is just another of several minorities.

Arizona looks just plain nuts to me. I don't understand the prejudice at all.

[zonkers]

36. Sailors, scholars musicians. A blue blood to me.

[CreekDog]

23. That's what happened in CA after 1994, massive realignment of Hispanic voters

1994 and before, their turnout was light

1994 and before, they were divided between Republicans and Democrats

and then, Prop. 187 passed (and all those commercials of Mexicans running across the border with the voiceover..."they keep coming...")

After 1994, Hispanic turnout was far higher

Hispanic votes for Republicans, almost vanished.

[fishwax]

34. unfortunately, though, they've also provided a tool to suppress gotv campaigns

Even before this law, the right used the threat of having to show identification to intimidate/discourage minority voters from going to the polls :grr:

[Hawkeye-X]

3. Every Democratic city in Arizona should sue Governor Brewer

and work on a recall on every friggin' Republicans who signed off on this bill. That includes the nutcase Brewer.

Tucson should be joining the lawsuit - I worked too hard to make it blue during my only year there back in '02 (before Janet got elected)

[sandnsea]

4. It's more than asking for papers

37 E. A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, WITHOUT A WARRANT, MAY ARREST A PERSON
38 IF THE OFFICER HAS PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THE PERSON HAS COMMITTED
39 ANY PUBLIC OFFENSE THAT MAKES THE PERSON REMOVABLE FROM THE UNITED STATES.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[drm604]

9. 100% of Arizonans could vote for it

and that still wouldn't mean that it was constitutional.

[Aristus]

10. If a million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.

Anyway, it's a clear violation of the 4th Amendment, guarding U.S. citizens from illegal search and seizure. And if you think U.S. citizens aren't going to be targeted by cops because they "look like illegals", you're living on another planet.

If even one U.S. citizen is pulled over and ordered to show his papers, that constitutes an illegal search, and the law should be invalidated.

Let's see if those "strict constructionists" on the SCOTUS remember their convictions when this law is challenged before their bench.

[gmpierce]

33. Dream On

Those "strict constructionists" are mostly talk, and when they do act, it's not in favor of the constitution. This is why in several states, if the police think you might be intoxicated they are allowed to use force to obtain a blood sample -- before you can have an attorney.

There are other areas where the 4th amendment has been invalidated and most of them came from rulings by SCOTUS.

[pezDispenser]

21. thats a bullshit poll number

Arizona has 29% Hispanic population. That alone tells me that number is off.

[midnight]

7. I didn't know Phoenix has a Democratic Mayor. That is great news. I hope

he is able to make a constitutional case against this crazy Governor.....

[JonLP24]

11. Phoenix leans Democratic

In Republican leaning Maricopa County.

[Tansy_Gold]

13. We HAD a Democratic governor, too. We HAVE a Democratic

Attorney General.

That just goes to show how little some "outsiders" know about Arizona politics. Not all Arizonans are JD Hayworths, John Shadeggs, Jon Kyls, and Jan Brewers.

Arizonans elected Raúl Castro, who was born in México, Governor of the state in 1975.

Our 7th District Congressman Raúl Grijalva, is considered one of the most liberal members of the House.

We're not perfect. We do still have Kyl and McCain, Brewer and Arpaio. But not all of us are nutcases.

Instead of just railing against us, help us get rid of these idiots. Encourage the boycotts, ESPECIALLY the movement to rescind the award of the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game to Phoenix. The nutcases need to see that their nutcasery will have consequences.

It's a shame it has to be that way, that only economic pressure rather than moral sanity will prevail. But something has to be done.



Tansy Gold

[PSzymeczek]

18. We have Raul Grijalva, Ed Pastor, and Gabrielle Giffords,

plus a few more.

[DFW]

30. Gabrielle Giffords is a friend of mine

She definitely doesn't support this madness. There are enough Democrats in Arizona to turn this into
a huge Republican embarrassment, if Arizona Republicans aren't enough of an embarrassment by themselves.

[marybourg]

19. Yes.

:thumbsup:

[vduhr]

20. Can you post some links to boycott sites, or suggested things

to boycott. Do we boycott businesses? I live in New Mexico, but can we boycott purchasing anything that comes from Arizona (i.e., ordering online, etc.)? I am more than willing to boycott, but would like to know what we can do from out of state.

[DBoon]

22. I'd like to see how many All-Star players are asked for their papers

and wouldn't it be interesting if some were arrested for refusing to do so?

[pezDispenser]

24. no shit

homeland security, wtf is that. Simply an administrators job. Sad day for progress in the right direction when she was tapped on the shoulder.

[defendandprotect]

8. k

[asjr]

12. Will Arizona have a checkpoint Charlie where

everyone will need to present papers? Sounds so much like the Nazis and East Germany after WW2.

[Historic NY]

14. So will Az issue citizens identification documents? I didn't know the Constitution said they could.

[slackmaster]

35. Arizona issues driver licenses and non-driver state ID cards just as all states do

You can't get one without proof of legal residence.

[Tx4obama]

16. Hopefully Cheech won't visit Arizona

From 'Born in East LA'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOLJU6dbZRc

[classysassy]

25. I've lived here

in Arizona for 42 years never seen it this bad before,the racist have taken over the state.Brewer and sheriff Joe m ust be members of the klan if not they sure act like they are.

[panzerfaust]

31. Zeigen Sie uns Ihre Papiere der Identität! Schnell!!

Show us your identification papers! Now!!

The world as Republicans would like it to be.

[anachro1]

32. As an American born

of Mexican American descent, I do not trust that your bands of ignorant Xtian white fascists would know the difference, much less do this job without employing guns and violence. So due to this new racist boneheaded law, we have cancelled a one month vacation in Arizona.

I hope your state loses a SHITLOAD of tourist dollars!

[alp227]

37. Yeah! Phoenix should NOT bow down to the fascist state government!

Despite what the Republican defenders of the police state bill say, there still exists potential for racism. I wonder if the police would ever question anyone who says "about" with an oo sound or "get" with a straight ge instead of gie.