Civil Rights Groups File Suit Against Arizona Immigration Law

By • 5/18/10 • Categorized as Hispanic,Immigration News,Phoenix

Civil Disobedience Against SB 1070 in New York City. Photo - New York Immigrant Coaltion

Civil Disobedience Against SB 1070 in New York City. (Photo: New York Immigrant Coalition)

A broad coalition of civil rights groups filed a class action lawsuit on Monday challenging Arizona’s new law – SB 1070 – that requires police to verify a person’s immigration status if there’s a “reasonable suspicion” they are in the country illegally.

The coalition includes the American Civil Liberties Union, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center and other groups. Together, they charge that the law invites racial profiling, violates the First Amendment and interferes with federal law.

“This ill-conceived law sends a clear message to communities of color that the authorities are not to be trusted, making them less likely to come forward as victims of or witnesses to crime,” said Linton Joaquin, General Counsel of the National Immigration Law Center, in a statement. “Arizona’s authorities should not allow public safety to take a back seat to racial profiling.”

The lawsuit, Friendly House et al. v. Whiting, aims to block the implementation of SB 1070—which is due to go into effect on July 29th. There have been at least 4 other lawsuits launched against SB 1070 since it was signed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, and all of these may eventually be consolidated into one big suit.

Numerous public figures have called for an economic boycott of Arizona unless the law is blocked. The city of Phoenix has estimated a loss of $90 million over the next five years if a boycott materializes.

On the same day, 16 people were arrested in New York City for civil disobedience while protesting Arizona’s law and the lack of national immigration reform. The protesters temporarily blocked the flow of traffic around the Federal Building by forming a human chain. They called SB 1070 “immoral” and “unconstitutional.”

The ACLU produced this video about what they call the “Show Me Your Papers” mandate.

    Tagged as: , , , , , , , ,

    • MadMommy4u

      When people decide what laws are worth their respect and which laws to break openly, we have a society who is disrespectful of the country the are in. Every person of any color in any US state is required to have an identity. That identity travels with them wherever they go.

      They may have a criminal record or a college diploma, whomever they are, they must be able to show that ID to any police officer from any state at any time. Why should a certain class of people decide the rules don’t apply to them?

      Really, when have you gone out without your drivers license? If by chance, you forgot to bring it and you get pulled over by a cop, would you expect to be in trouble for driving your car without it? Every person is asked the same question…, LICENSE & REGISTRATION, PLEASE?

      What I don’t understand is why the people are claiming this is a civil rights issue. It’s not. It’s a law issue, we have 12 million plus people breaking our laws and everyone wants that to be okay…. it’s not okay. The laws of our country are important. If you don’t understand that, then you really don’t belong here.

      Respect the law, why is that a problem? Get legal or get out. Stop expecting the entire country to change to accommodate illegal immigrant rights over the rights of American citizens. Please! stop this rhetoric and get real, Illegal immigrants have broken the laws of the United States to be here. They have mindlessly broken any law they wanted in order to stay here and now they are trying to break the back of this country with their overwhelming numbers.

      This is extremely unfair and disrespectful to every citizen in this country.

    • Ruth Sapien

      I feel like I’m the only sane person living in an insane world. I actually READ all 17 pages of SB1070 and can’t imagine how any lawsuit wouldn’t be immediately thrown out for, if nothing else, a waste of the courts time.

      Unbelievable… no wonder our economy is in such a mess. What a waste of time & money!!!!

    • http://chicanofuturet.wordpress.com/ Chicano future tense

      Let’s hope all these lovers of law and order will accept the supreme courts ruling tossing racial profiling SB1070 into the garbage can where it belongs..I hope they put a big lid on that can because SB1070 stinks to high heaven!
      It’s amazing how some Americans are alright with their American transnational corporations ripping off millions of American jobs and ripping out almost the industrial infrastructure of the country transplanting them overseas in order to avoid pay near slave labor wages,avoid paying taxes and environmental pollution laws..
      Add to that infamous list -crooked stimulus bills,fraudulent bailouts and massive wall street theft of the taxpayers money..the list goes on and on of the really big real corporate and financial criminals getting away with murder while at the same time all these “law and order” folks sigh and just look the other way.Such brave people of course would rather mess and harrass wretchedly poor people because it’s easier and panders to racism and xenophobia.
      But human nature being what it is I shouldn’t be surprised at all that cowardice loves tormenting those who are are defenseless and powerless..folks that are just trying to feed their families and stay alive..
      The dark side of human nature..cowardice scapegoating the wrong people for America’s problems..

    • Scott

      SB1070 has been mischaracterized as an “Immigration Law.” It is not. We have a federal immigration law which preempts state legislation on this issue. The AZ is a criminal trespass law which allows AZ officers to detain and arrest where a person is in the country unlawfully. The concern over racial profiling stems from the fact that when we discuss immigration we are fundamentally speaking of a problem that singularly concerns the southern, i.e. Mexican border. There are 12 million illegal aliens in the U.S. – the size of the population of Los Angeles. Why should MALDEF desire an open border? Because illegals represent a potential voting base for Mexican and Hispanic politicians in this country. There will be as many countersuits against the actions of MALDEF as there are in favor of it. This is a kulturkampf which European Americans intend to win!

    • http://www.thebearparty.tumblr.com The Bear Party

      I got into some trouble in Arizona – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x6ujiRq7AM

    • Pingback: Civil Disobedience: Undocumented Youth Risk Deportation in Push for Immigration Reform | Feet in 2 Worlds · Immigration news · Immigration reform · Immigrant communities

    • Pingback: SB 1070 Supporters Present An Arizona Sing-A-Long | Feet in 2 Worlds · Immigration news · Immigration reform · Immigrant communities

    • Pingback: Clinton Leaks Feds Will Sue Arizona | Feet in 2 Worlds · Immigration news · Immigration reform · Immigrant communities

    • Pingback: United States v. Arizona | Feet in 2 Worlds · Immigration news · Immigration reform · Immigrant communities