Another good work by United Sikhs.
Federal Judge Blocks Parts of Controversial Arizona Law; Victorious First Step for Immigrant Groups as Comprehensive Immigration Reform Appears Priority
New York, NY: On Wednesday, July 18th 2010, Federal Judge Susan Bolton blocked controversial parts of SB 1070, the much talked about Arizona immigration law. While the case between the federal government and the State of Arizona is still ongoing, the preliminary injunction is a victory for advocates of comprehensive immigration reform at a Federal level instead of State policies that arbitrarily target minorities and clearly violate civil rights of immigrants. UNITED SIKHS is one of those groups calling for Federal immigration policies and recently joined several interfaith groups in advocating for Comprehensive Immigration Reform at Washington, DC.
According to the preliminary ruling, the following parts of the law will not come into effect:
Requirements that an officer make a reasonable attempt to determine the immigration status of a person stopped [the reasonable suspicion section]
The creation of a crime for the failure to apply for or carry papers
The creation of a crime for the undocumented to work or apply for work
Authorizing the warrantless arrest of a person where there is probable cause to believe the person has committed a public offense that makes the person removable from the United States.
Recent reports have indicated that Sikh truck drivers who are U.S. citizens have also been stopped and asked for proof of their immigration status while making deliveries or passing through Arizona. Staff Attorney Hansdeep Singh remarked, "that the strongest arguments for blocking these provisions is the disparate impact these laws would have on lawful residents; in essence, constituting collective punishment on immigrant communities, and also the principle of federal pre-emption, since immigration laws fall under the plenary power of Congress."
The ruling blocked provisions that would have led to racial profiling and would likely violate constitutional rights of both legal and illegal immigrants. According to the ruling, immigration policies fall under Federal jurisdictions, and States that implement such laws would be overreaching into federal territory.
The ongoing case highlights the need for President Obama and members of Congress to prioritize Comprehensive Immigration Reform, and engage lawmakers in forming federal policies so States do not take it upon themselves to create laws that are detrimental to minority populations in the country.
As the judges continue to delve into the details of this case, UNITED SIKHS urges Sikhs nationally to contact their representatives and congressmen to show support for comprehensive immigration reform. Call your law-makers and urge them to make immigration a priority.
Parts of the law not blocked by this injunction WILL go into effect as planned. If you experience an immigration-related discrimination in Arizona, please contact UNITED SIKHS at
law-usa@unitedsikhs.org or 1-888-243-1690.
Issued by:
Rucha Kavathe
Media and Communications Coordinator
1-888-243-1690
law-usa@unitedsikhs.org
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥