Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer Rejects Schumer's Plea to Delay Immigration Law
AP/Tom Tingle
Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer quickly rejected a proposal from Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, to hold off on enacting Arizona's controversial new immigration law, the Associated Press reports.
Schumer reportedly sent a letter to Brewer on Thursday asking her to delay the law, slated to go into effect in July, while Washington works on comprehensive immigration reform. He also asked her to push one of Arizona's two Republican senators, John McCain or Jon Kyl, to support federal immigration reform, in order to give it more momentum.
The law in question requires immigrants in Arizona to carry documents verifying their immigration status. It also requires police officers to question a person about his or her immigration status during a "lawful stop" if there is "reasonable suspicion" that person may be in the country illegally.
The new measure has outraged Latinos and others across the country who say it would inevitably lead to racial profiling, though the law explicitly prohibits officers from using race or ethnicity to determine "reasonable suspicion." The outrage has led to protests and calls for boycotts of the state. Some Arizona cities have already filed lawsuits against the state challenging the law.
Brewer insisted in an op-ed this week that the boycotts in protest of the law are misguided and that Arizona had no choice but to act in the absence of federal reform.
President Obama said earlier this week that Washington should start working on immigration reform this year.
While work has already started on reform -- Democrats have put forward a relatively conservative legislative proposal -- White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs acknowledged yesterday that "there's not enough support to move forward."
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Dear President Obama:
I'm planning to move my family and extended family into Mexico for my health, and I would like to ask you to assist me.
We're planning to simply walk across the border from the U.S. into Mexico , and we'll need your help to make a few arrangements.
We plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws.
I'm sure they handle those things the same way you do here. So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Calderon, that I'm on my way over?
Please let him know that I will be expecting the following:
1. Free medical care for my entire family.
2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.
3. Please print all Mexican Government forms in English.
4. I want my grand-kids to be taught Spanish by English-speaking (bi-lingual) teachers.
5. Tell their schools they need to include classes on American culture and history.
6. I want my grand-kids to see the American flag on one of the flag poles at their school.
7. Please plan to feed my grand-kids at school for both breakfast and lunch.
8. I will need a local Mexican driver's license so I can get easy access to government services.
9. I do plan to get a car and drive in Mexico , but I don't plan to purchase car insurance, and I probably won't make any special effort to learn local traffic laws.
10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from their president to leave me alone, please be sure that every patrol car has at least one English-speaking officer.
11. I plan to fly the U.S. flag from my housetop, put U S. flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals.
12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, or have any labor or tax laws enforced on any business I may start.
13. Please have the president tell all the Mexican people to be extremely nice and never say critical things about me or my family, or about the strain we might place on their economy.
14. I want to receive free food stamps.
15. Naturally, I'll expect free rent subsidies.
16. I'll need income tax credits so that although I don't pay Mexican taxes, I'll receive money from the government.
17. Please arrange it so that the Mexican Government pays $4,500.00 to help me buy a new car.
18. Oh yes, I almost forgot, please enroll me free into the Mexican Social Security program so that I'll get a monthly income in retirement.
I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things for all his people who walk over to the U.S. from Mexico . I am sure that President Calderon won't mind returning the favor if you ask him nicely.
Thank you so much for your kind help.
You're the man!!!
THAT FENCE NEEDS TO GO UP NOW!!!!
Bank of America, can I help you?
Customer: Yes, I want to cancel my account. I don't want to do business
with
you any longer.
The Bank: Why?
Customer: You're giving credit to illegal immigrants and I don't think
it's
right. I'm taking my business elsewhere.
The Bank: Well, Mr. Customer, we don't want to see you do that, but we
can't
stop you. I'll help you close the account. What is your account number?
Customer: (gives account number)
The Bank: For security purposes and for your protection, can you please
give
me the last four digits of your social security number?
Customer: No?
The Bank: Mr. Customer, I need to verify your information, but in order
to help
you, I'll need verification of who you are..
Customer: Why should I give you my social security number? The reason
I'm closing
my account is that your bank is issuing credit cards to illegal
immigrants who
don't have social security numbers. You are targeting that audience and
want
their business. Let's say I'm an illegal immigrant and you've given me a
credit
card. I have a question about it and call for assistance. You wouldn't
be asking
me for a Social Security number, would you?
The Bank: No sir, I wouldn't.
Customer: Why not?
The Bank: Because you would have pressed '2' to speak in Spanish. We
don't ask
for that information when calling in on the Spanish line.