Calls to boycott Arizona are spreading like a virus

Originally Posted by desertanimal

Truck driver arrested today. Starts at 1:10. Both of these brown people lost work time today. I will be pissed if I get arrested someday for not carrying my birth certificate.

Well, guess I'd better be sure to get that from my mom for if I go to Arizona then, hunh?

Originally Posted by susang

So we go to AZ to visit bro, what exactly does hubby have to carry to prove citizenship? Now I know Wade will say well if you don't do anything wrong don't worry. So now; my what if hubby is weeding bro's front yard in grubby clothes and the police come along, are they compelled to ask for his proof of citizenship.
At this point I don't know who or what to believe.
I do agree with Ms Z we won't be visiting AZ anytime soon, 5+2=7

the law states a LEO must be lawfully engaged before he can ask for proof. And he must have a reasonable suspicion.

Let me see if I can help with this.....

It is kin to what is called a secondary infraction. Twenty years ago in Florida it was a law you must wear a seatbelt in your car. As a LEO, sitting in a parking lot watching a car go by, noticing the driver had no seatbelt on, all you could is watch. If they blew through the corner stop light and you pulled them over, then you could give them a ticket for no seatbelt.
If it were me (in Arizona) pulling over anybody lawfully and they couldn't speak English ( in itself wouldn't raise suspicion), had no DL, no SS or if they did but they didn't match up, that would make me a little suspicous.

Will it be perfect? No. I'm sure they will be cowboy LEO's who will abuse and harass.

As a final, personal story.... a good friend of mine pulled over a dump truck to check his load. The driver was very nervous. His suspicion was raised. The info came back. Nothing was matching, he couldn't ask if he was illegal. As he came down from the top of the truck he was greeted 47 times over the head with a tire iron. The driver was illegal and wanted for a triple homicide in C. America.

I think the bottom line is this too shall pass. The sheer value of the resources that will be expended to support and carry out this new law will become it's own demise. For every person they bring in on suspicion of illegal residence the State will pay thousands to process, house, feed, lawyer, deport, or release the person, and multiply that by a few thousand people you have a law that will cost too much to enforce. It costs more to enforce immigration laws than it does to ignore them which is why we have so many illegals in the first place. I think it's sad a State would even have to feel compelled to enact such a law because they are being overrun by illegals when really our Federal government should be finding a real way to control immigration.

I agree people will be racially profiled, but thats nothing new- it happens everyday all over the world and there are both good and bad consequences to profiling this way. When a crime is committed or suspected the police can only go on gender, age, approx. height/weight, and yes race to find the suspect- it saves time and resources. Sure it sucks if you fit the general description, but in this case it's gonna be real hard to be convicted yet innocent- your either here legally or not. If your here legally you have a valid ID just like any other American citizen so I don't see what the problem with asking someone to see it is. I do see counterfeiting becoming more prevalent, jails overcrowding, tax dollars wasted, and immigration remaining the same problem it is now, but what else is Arizona supposed to do- just open up their borders and say come on in?

Originally Posted by danielle

I think it's sad a State would even have to feel compelled to enact such a law because they are being overrun by illegals when really our Federal government should be finding a real way to control immigration.

Yes, this is only a band aid and not fixing the source of the problem. Although, it is a start- it takes a lot more work to put the giant into motion, not to mention, disagreements over how to fix it (or even if it should happen) can cause any movement in this direction to come to a standstill, even cause some steps back.

Oh no, I'm a semi-professional hat dancer with a great tan, if I go to AZ on tour I'll have to carry my birth certificate! Because, you know, I didn't have to have a birth certificate, SS card, and 2 pieces of mail with my current address to get my drivers license or my passport... Oh wait, yes I did... I guess I'll have to start carrying my drivers license in my wallet, and my passport when I travel, what a hassle!
Give me a break, everyone who is, carries their proof of citizenship with them already, and if you don't drive, go get an ID, you should have one anyway...

Originally Posted by wade

I still have faith in the Law Enforcement people, much more so than I do in the News Media.

Me too.

Furthermore, I think I would probably rather take my chances with a cop out to get me than a civilian out to get me. Even bad cops have at least some hoops they have to jump through to make things look legit....if a civilian wants to do something bad, nothing stopping them and they don't have to cover their tracks quite as hard.

So saw Steph's link maybe I worry the sky is falling, maybe I am over reacting. Hey I also store food and water in case, in case of what I'm not sure, but I also know alot of others on here store food, water, seeds (the legal kind).

Wade I'm not flipping a screw because of this, well anymore then usual,

Originally Posted by CaptBogart

Oh no, I'm a semi-professional hat dancer with a great tan, if I go to AZ on tour I'll have to carry my birth certificate! Because, you know, I didn't have to have a birth certificate, SS card, and 2 pieces of mail with my current address to get my drivers license or my passport... Oh wait, yes I did... I guess I'll have to start carrying my drivers license in my wallet, and my passport when I travel, what a hassle!
Give me a break, everyone who is, carries their proof of citizenship with them already, and if you don't drive, go get an ID, you should have one anyway...

Well I had it typed in last post but deleted it. As of 2010, I needed a birth certifcate to renew DL, never needed it before. It is a recent law maybe 2008 or 2009.
I think some states are lax in what is needed to get DL.

Originally Posted by wade

Tim, I am glad you chimed in. Your voice says volumes on this discussion. I have Mexican nationals that work for me. They have resident alien cards, that look like a drivers license. It is not big bulky documentation. I carry a drivers license and am required to present it to any policeman that asks for it. This is not a big deal.

Now if I understand this, a legal immigrant is issued appropriate documentation that must be produced upon request. Why then is there a need for a new law that specifically targets illegals? Would a routine traffic check not already give law enforcement the opportunity to check someones immigration status without creating a new law that now puts "reasonable suspiscion" in a whole new define as vague? I still believe it is racial. It's discrimatory. It's targeted at latinos. All that law really does as far as I'm concerned is makes Arizona one of those least desired places to visit.

Originally Posted by CaptBogart

Oh no, I'm a semi-professional hat dancer with a great tan, if I go to AZ on tour I'll have to carry my birth certificate! Because, you know, I didn't have to have a birth certificate, SS card, and 2 pieces of mail with my current address to get my drivers license or my passport... Oh wait, yes I did... I guess I'll have to start carrying my drivers license in my wallet, and my passport when I travel, what a hassle!
Give me a break, everyone who is, carries their proof of citizenship with them already, and if you don't drive, go get an ID, you should have one anyway...

Yet somehow... A drivers license wasn't enough for that guy who was arrested, and yet was born not far from where I live.

Hmmmmn.