Ariz. immigrants taught to cope with new law

(CBS News) PHOENIX - Critics of Arizona's controversial immigration law are on alert. This week, a federal judge gave the state the go-ahead to enforce the "show me your papers" provision of the law. Now some undocumented immigrants are being taught how to respond.

As night falls on a Mesa, Arizona park, worried families, many of them undocumented immigrants, are instructed on what to say if questioned by police.

Instructor: "You want a lawyer?"

Woman: "Yes."

New Ariz. immigration law begins, with questions

Civil rights groups are also teaching people how to use cell phones to record video if stopped by the police. The training session was a response to Arizona's law that took effect this week. It allows police to investigate the immigration status of anyone they stop, giving rise to fears of racial profiling.

Defenders of the law say police will not use race when deciding whom to question about immigration status.

"The focal point is the conduct, not the color of the skin," said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. "And that allows police officers to fairly distinguish between those who by the virtue of their conduct then come under suspicion for investigation, and those who aren't."

But those who came to this meeting fear they will be targets of the law and that their families will be divided.

"We've seen in many of these communities that a lot of parents have the punishment for being here without documents has been losing their kids," said Diana Ramirez from the civil rights group Puente, "and not being reunited when they are deported."

So parents came to have documents signed and notarized, turning over legal custody of their American-born children to someone they trust, should deportation become a reality.

Angelica Sanchez has four children aged 4 to 13. If she is sent back to Mexico, her children would stay here.

"Because my kids were born here. I want them to go to school. I want them to have a better life," she said.

These parents say they'll give their children that better life, even if they can't be here with them.

[dsl54]

many interesting comments. amnesty worked. it was economical.
The government did not have to intern or hold people awaiting deportation. our police could do something constructive.
ICE and the police do and will profile. who are they kidding.
this is like Alabama in the 60's. I am an old white guy who has had a good life. every productive person without a criminal record should have that chance. don't get hung up on race. wasn't part of our country part of Mexico at one time? who should be upset????.....

[rightontarget]

"We've seen in many of these communities that a lot of parents have the punishment for being here without documents has been losing their kids," said Diana Ramirez from the civil rights group Puente, "and not being reunited when they are deported."
************************************

Well that's what they get for sneaking into our country ILLEGALLY and having "anchor" babies. They think they are entitled to "rights" when in fact they are NOT! They knew when they came here illegally that they were taking a risk. One of those risks is the fact that they may be separated. Now accept your risk and go on with your life but don't ask me to support you in what you've done illegally.
That is SUCH an INSULT to the REAL immigrants. Those fantastic folks who came here and went through the system LEGALLY! Do not even try to class these ILLEGALS with LEGITIMATE IMMIGRANTS. The two are NOT one and the same!!!!!!!!
This is one of the MAJOR things that is wrong with our society. Nobody is willing to take the CONSEQUENCES of their own actions. Make excuses for it, get somebody else to bail you out, as long as you have a good "reason" for what you've done it should be ok, etc....... Good Lord, get over it! If you are here illegally then you have NO right to be here. You have no right to anything. Just because you could sneak into the country and have been a "productive" citizen for however many years DOES NOT MAKE IT OK! There are millions of people who entered this country LEGALLY and EARNED their right to be here. If you STEAL something (in this case your residency) you should NOT be allowed to keep it.

[morrisdev]

My daughter, every day, says the pledge and sings America the Beautiful standing in a school courtyard with 200 other kids. The school is in ChinaTown, and she's one of 6 Caucasian girls in the entire school.

So... I know for a fact that the family of the little girl standing next to her each day got their immigration papers all jacked up.

Here's the "reality", the parents are basically working at a subsistence rate. Now, they're supposed to go back to China and work out some paperwork crap, but then all will be fine... supposedly... However, that means pulling their kid out of school for a month, losing both their jobs, having to pay for 3 tickets to China, still paying all their bills, etc.... All for a "perhaps".

It ain't gonna happen. They're going to give up and move off the radar, just like a lot of other families here. Now, I know that little girl... she's got no idea what here parents did. I know her parents, from the PTA meetings, and they're all about getting their children a better life. They've never mentioned that they live in a sh-thole one room apartment or each work 2 jobs. Nope. Pretty decent folk.

I'm not going to help get them deported.

On the other hand, if someone is a criminal and they're here illegally, bye-bye.

So, that's why I stand with the current immigration policy changes. Increase =deportations by a sh-tload more than any other administration, but focus on criminals and leave the good people alone.

Romney supporters keep telling me that it makes me some kind of libtard-communist-anti-christian-traitor, but that's just my day to day life.

Sorry for boring all of you. :)

[Armando_Cedillo]

Illegal immigrants exacerbate the nation's unhealthy population boom and its attendant tolls on our infrastructure, finite resources, cultural cohesion, and respect for law and order. Arizona is the main gateway for hundreds of thousands of transgressive aliens each year. Empowering Arizona's law enforcement with the tools they need to stop these criminals should be applauded.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

repubs pas laws that break up families and then try to "court" the Hispanic vote.

What a farce.

[Something_to_say_]

"break up families" they are here ILLEGALY! What part of illegal and breaking the law are you not understanding?

[Something_to_say_]

From a fellow Marine you are ignorant person to believe that democrats didn't help pass the immigration laws that this administration has chosen to selectively enforce. Not forget Obama's circumventing the constitution.

[az-pride]

hey formerusmc they are not breaking up hispanic families. they are sending criminals who invaded our home back where they are legal. they have to b taught how to answer for a lawyer in spaiish? are u kidding me? and of course who will b paying for these lawyers? ding ding ding! yoy guessed it! the tax payers natch. ur comment s ridiculous. my daughte is half hispanic. born here in the usa.. u r a moron

[tundraline]

What kind of a parent would leave all her children behind if she were deported? And where is the father or fathers? What's his or their role and responsibility? She's the one who made poor choices, not the American taxpayer who will get stuck with the bill for making her children wards of the state. Congress must eliminate birthright citizenship. This potent anachronism is being deftly exploited by illegal aliens, most of whom are illiterate, uneducated, and non-English-speaking. Time for them to go home.

[lnytnz]

if President Eisenhower could round up and deport all illegals, why can't we?

[morrisdev]

The same reason we're now allowed to have interracial marriage and being gay isn't illegal: evolution. You can't pick and choose. It's like whining about not having the strength of a gorilla but not thanking evolution for that car you drove to work in or the latte you picked up at starbucks.

[notparicular]

What I noticed among today's illegal immigrants is a strong desire for their children to become American. They want their children to have the education they did not have. We want that kind of young Americans for our country. These young Amercians have hard working parents already. Why pounce on such well intentioned hard working people? Is it because they are weak and vulnarable?

[elliot_foley]

Bank robbers are hard working, well intentioned people too. Yet we still arrest and prosecute them. And we certainly don't allow the INNOCENT children of bank robbers to keep the loot their bank robbing parents stole, regardless of how hard they work at school...

[smc021-2009]

How about this, self deport!!!! Gee that worked didn't it!!!

[Something_to_say_]

It did in Alabama with a drop in unemployment!

[ramrod42]

Get them ALL out ! They ARE "Illegal's" in "America" !

[ttipbc]

What's with all the unnecessary quotation marks, the unnecessary apostrophe in the word illegals, & the unnecessary capitalization of the word illegals? Were you taught in schools here in the USA? Are you even a legal citizen? If you want someone to take your comments seriously, learn proper grammar & punctuation.

[Daid132]

So are all "White" people!!!

[jcesar2191]

it's funny most of the "citizens" that i know especially the caucasian ones, couldn't spell right even to save their own lives. it's crazy how a lot immigrants take better advantage of the education in this country,than the average american citizen. e.g indian people , every hospital has a bunch of them doctors.