The Arizona immigration bill, Arizona Senate Bill 1070, or SB 1070, is controversial. Allegations of racial profiling and discrimination, among other things, have been flung in the debate. The President condemned the bill, and John McCain came out in support. The Arizona immigration bill has also been condemned by Catholic Church officials. Despite protests on either side of the debate, the fact remains that Arizona will soon need debt management dealing with the problem.
Obama condemns Arizona immigration bill
President Obama, according to CBS, believes the Arizona immigration bill is “misguided” as an attempt at reform. He also said the bill could potentially “undermine basic notion of fairness that we cherish as Americans” and that it threatened the public’s trust in law enforcement. Police officers, under the bill, could investigate the citizenship of anyone they believed to be an immigrant. The Mexican government has asked Governor Brewer not to sign the bill.
John McCain backs bill seemingly reversing course
The Arizona immigration bill is supported by Senator John McCain, from a New York Times blog. Senator McCain had previously adopted stances more favorable to immigrants, and this seems to be a reversal of posture. In an interview on Fox News, he told Bill O’Reilly that he thought the state was doing what is believed to be the best thing. The federal government, as he and others have pointed out, has failed to do much about illegal immigration. The state of Arizona is on the verge of needing money now to deal with illegal immigration in the state. Arizona officials deal with this problem more than almost any other state.
It hinges on Governor Jan Brewer
Governor Jan Brewer will receive the Arizona immigration bill for approval. There have been repeated calls for her to veto the bill. They include the Bishop of Tuscon, the Los Angeles Diocese Archbishop, and the Mexican government. Several Latino members of Congress, including Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva have denounced the bill as racist. President Obama has announced that he will have staff reviewing the legality of the legislation, should it pass.
