[Vision2020] Huh?

[Tom Hansen]

The Department of Redundancy Department praises Arizona for its recent
bill outlawing illegal immigration.

Courtesy of . . . (you guessed it) . . . Fox News at:

http://tinyurl.com/Arizona-Illegal-Immigrants

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Arizona Bill Aims to Outlaw Illegal Immigrants in State

The Arizona House on Tuesday approved a bill to crack down on illegal
immigration by making it against state law to be in Arizona without legal
immigration documents.

PHOENIX -- The Arizona House on Tuesday approved a bill to crack down on
illegal immigration by making it against state law to be in Arizona
without legal immigration documents.

House Republicans advanced the measure on a 35-21 party-line vote. The
Senate approved a similar measure in February but must concur to changes
made in the House before sending it to Gov. Jan Brewer.

Supporters celebrated the bill as a measure to protect the state from
violent criminals. Opponents say it will draw local communities deeper
into the fight against illegal immigration and do nothing to keep people
safer.

Arizona's struggling economy has driven many illegal immigrants from the
state. But as the economy rebounds, "so too will the illegal immigrants --
larger, stronger and more destructive than they were several years ago,"
said Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills.

"We need to put this law in place now so that when the new illegal
immigrants come, we're prepared to do battle with them," he said.

The measure has several provisions. It would:

-- Create a new state misdemeanor crime of willful failure to complete or
carry an alien registration document.

-- Allow officers to arrest immigrants unable to show documents proving
they're legally in the country.

-- Ban so-called soft immigration policies at local police agencies and
allow people to sue if they feel a government agency has adopted a policy
that hinders the enforcement of illegal immigration laws.

-- Prohibit people from blocking traffic when they seek or offer day-labor
services on street corners.

-- Make it illegal for people to transport illegal immigrants if the
drivers of vehicles know their passengers are in the country illegally and
if the transportation furthers their illegal presence in the country.

The provision is designed to target law enforcement policies that prevent
officers from asking people about their immigration status, but opponents
worry it will make victims and witnesses scared to work with police and
prosecutors.

"This is a false hope for the people of Arizona. It's a false sense of
security for our neighborhoods," said Rep. Chad Campbell, R-Phoenix.

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, who is one of
Arizona's loudest voices opposing illegal immigration.

Tuesday's vote demonstrated Pearce's political power at the Legislature
and underscored the pressure on Republicans to support crackdowns on
illegal immigration. The measure won support from all 35 House
Republicans, including a handful who said they had serious concerns with
the legislation.

"This bill is filled with problems, huge problems. But more importantly it
will not stem the tide of illegal immigration," Rep. Bill Konopnicki,
R-Safford, said before adding that he feels "obligated" to support the
bill anyway.

Konopnicki said the best way to address illegal immigration is with
fences, electronic surveillance, air support and more border patrol
agents.

The bill is being closely watched nationally by groups on both sides of
the immigration debate.

Chris Newman, legal director of the National Day Laborer Organizing
Network, suggested the House bill is the work of racists.

"Arizona has long been a laboratory for anti-immigrant experimentation,
and its demagogue leaders have become folk heroes for white supremacists
throughout the United States," Newman said. "But this bill ushers in a new
chapter of disgrace for the state that resisted celebrating the life of
Martin Luther King."

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
and the Realist adjusts his sails."

- Unknown