Cities Threaten to Boycott Arizona

Six days after Arizona gained notice and notoriety with the toughest anti-immigration law in the country, protests are building, opposing sides are hardening, and outside pressure is mounting. On Thursday, opponents turned on a little star power as Mexican-American singer, Linda Ronstadt, spoke out.

"The dirty little secret is I'm probably not the one that would be pulled over because I'm light skinned," Ronstadt said.

She endorsed the first of what's likely to be a flurry of opposition lawsuits.

"We will be devoting our collective resources to making sure this bill will not take effect," said Alessandra Soler Meetze with the ACLU.

The controversial law requires police in Arizona to demand proof of citizenship of anyone they suspect is in the U.S. illegally, reports CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker. It takes effect this summer, but many citizens say it's having a chilling effect already.

As CBS News tried to speak with one immigration rights worker, a car pulled up and shouted "Why don't you go back to Mexico, man?"

"That's what this law is causing," said Salvador Reza, a community activist. "It's causing the division and bringing out the worst - the worst in people."

Citing crime rates and the cost of social services, the mayor of Costa Mesa, Calif. and legislators in Ohio and Texas say they're pushing for Arizona-style immigration laws.

"The citizens are sick and tired of political correctness," said Debbie Riddle, a State Representative in Texas. "They want to take their country back."

Photos: Immigration Protests
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Will Other States Follow Arizona's Lead on Immigration?
More City Councils Move Toward Arizona Boycotts
Illegal Immigrants Leaving Arizona

But many more cities are lining up in opposition. Dozens are threatening to cut all business ties with Arizona. Already at least eight conventions have pulled out of Phoenix in protest. The city could lose up to $45,000 on each.

"I work in the hotel business and I know for a fact there are several cancelations already in the pipe for several hotels in Arizona," said Jeff Franklin, a hotel worker.

Arizona has gone through this kind of economic pressure before. In 1987, when the state refused to observe the national Martin Luther King Holiday, there was a national boycott - the Super Bowl pulled out of Tempe. It all cost the state $300 million.

Then, Arizona backed down. This time, supporters of the law say they're hanging tough because of this: just yesterday Border Patrol picked up 105 immigrants trying to enter the country near Tucson, illegally.

[earth4sale]

I can understand the part on hauling your identification on your person, it gets aggrevating when people want to see your hunting license and proper ID if you got enough tags Hey what a multi multitude of beautiful mounts.I think I can also understand the overload of work it takes too make a country livable and the fear of my own drug cartel people being closed in with me in our country throwing fits, but what happens when we run out of borders and sanity.

[Jrios3300]

I support the boycotting of Arizona. How can we call ourselves Americans and have an ignorant view of incomming immigrants when not long ago we were the 'poor and huddled masses'. We put up the statue of liberty to welcome us but now spit in her face.
Whats wrong with this picture is that we are completely ignorant of Mexicans, Mexico and Hispanics. We're ingorant becuase we know nothing about them.
Cinco de Mayo...we wouldn't be the 'United States of America' without Mexico's heroic defending of its borders from French attack. The French were planning to help the south against the north. We would be the Confederate States of America.
WW1...Mexico was an ally to the U.S. becuase she refused an offer by Germany to assist against the U.S. In return for her participation in defeating the U.S. Germany promised to return the states of New Mexico, California and Texas to Mexican territory if Germany were to win. On top of Mexico's alliedship, 250,000 Hispanic Americans served militarily.
WW2...Mexico an ally against Germany via Escuadron 201..(201st Squadron). 750,000 of the American soldiers serving in that war were Hispanics.
Over one million and a quater Hispanics have served the U.S. military from the Revolution to Vietnam, not including the Gulf war or modern wars. Hispanics are the highest decorated ethnic group in the history of the U.S. military.
Now you know.

[mgreggsmith]

San Francisco has decided to boycott Arizona. I recommend that we organize a national effort to boycott San Francisco. I recommend we don't travel through San Fracisco. Or visit. Or buy anything from there. Or have a medical appointment there. I recommend we make the city toxic - something to avoid. California is a economic disaster. I recommend that we make it worse.

I used to be a member of the ACLU - which is attacking Arizona. I resigned last night.

What this is about is the cultural survival of the United States. Do we want to be absorbed by Mexico or do we want to survive?

[nonsheeple]

It is not within the legal boundaries of cities to act as political entities in such a manner. This statement "The controversial law requires police in Arizona to demand proof of citizenship of anyone they suspect is in the U.S. illegally"is exactly what the feds should be doing. This is simply states stepping up to the plate due to catastrophic failure of the feds. I believe most of the illegals that are protesting would rather have this bill than a replication of Mexico's immigration policy, which is far far more harsh. They as Mexicans have a lot of gall criticizing us. It is YOUR representatives that have caused this situation as they obediently obey the slaver corporations.

[bychanceiii]

Its disheartening to read about all the legal and moral posturing by this obviously racist method of controlling immigration.

How about this suggestion... instead of having immigrants carry their legal papers with them at all times, how about they literally sew copies of their legal status to their clothes. This way, it saves everyone time. The immigrants can't loose them and "law enforcement" can see it from a far. This sounds strangely familiar since it's what the Nazis did to the Jews when they were forced to sew a Star of David to their clothes.

This is simply hate and injustice disguised with legal and moral authority. And it will show its face in rogue police mistreating and abusing innocent and hard working immigrants.

I wonder the source of this fear based initiative. Is it a weak Republican party tying to distract from its past 12 year failures in Economic, fiscal leadership. Or was it the census saying that whites will become a minority in the next 12 years.

Either way, we all lose.

[NvBigBee]

legal immigrants are required carry their legal papers with them at all times.

[Chapeltepec]

Let'em do it! Stupid is as stupid does and these holier than thou nitwits are stupid!

[cheyenne16-2009]

Signed by President Clinton, in 1998, United States Federal Immigration law stipulates that "State and local police officers have the legal authority to enforce federal immigration laws".

One provision of federal law expands the role of local and state law officers by allowing them to be deputized as federal immigration agents.
Section 133 of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (INA Sec. 287(g)) is in addition to any inherent or existing state statutory authority over immigration matters.

State, county, and municipal law enforcement officers are sworn to uphold the law. This includes upholding the U.S. Constitution and implies federal laws.
As a 1996 Department of Justice legal opinion put it, "It is well-settled that state law enforcement officers are permitted to enforce federal statutes where such enforcement activities do not impair federal regulatory interests."

States "may be regarded as constituent and essential parts of the federal government, the states retain under the proposed [and adopted] Constitution a very extensive portion of active sovereignty, makes clear that the U.S. Constitution established a federal, not a national, government".

This element of original intent is essential to understanding the fact that states remain sovereign entities. These sovereigns have broad jurisdiction they may freely exercise. It is worth reviewing the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which read, respectively:

"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people".

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people".

In other words, the sovereign states may exercise their active sovereignty

Except where expressly prohibited from exercising certain powers, the "permission" the Clinton Justice Department's legal opinion mentions that local police have, derives from the Constitution itself. States, as federal constituents, retain police powers apart from what any federal statute may designate.
This is basic American government.

In at least two recent decisions the Tenth Circuit Court strengthen the hand of local law enforcement.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of one of those cases.

The appellate court ruled in U.S. v. Vasquez-Alvarez that "statute authorizing state and local law enforcement officials to arrest and detain aliens in certain circumstances if aliens had been deported or had left United States after previous felony conviction did not limit or displace preexisting general authority of state or local police officers to investigate and make arrests of criminal illegal aliens."
The court noted Oklahoma's state law as permitting local police to enforce federal law, including immigration law.
Supreme Court denied a writ of certiorari. Thus, the court rightly affirmed the legal authority of state and local police to arrest and detain immigration violators.

[underdogus2009]

If this law is racial profiling, then welcome to our world, the people of color. Maybe now some people will understand how it feels to be singled out because of the color of your skin or ethnic background. No surprise that Arizona is the first one to set up this law, it's a racist state anyway. Look how long it took them to recognize MLK day. This law is only the begining and there will be more to come. I guess Arizona's citizens will be doing there own yard work in the heat of things to come.

[larrryshrine]

Actually, it is general legal to walk about this great country with an i.d. Do you take your "papers" while mowing the lawn? What about jogging. This should not be a "police state" in which we use the vaguest of "reasonable suspicion" to stop and question a person of color simply because he is walking along a road. I am all for tough immigration laws, and for the deportation of illegals. But there are ways to do that without this law that "requires" officers to take action when there is no probable cause. This law is unconstitutional and will be overturned. Obama has been quoted as saying the federal law is "broken" ans should be enhanced. There are ways to go about all of this without having an unconstitutional law.

[larrryshrine]

I meant to say "without an i.d." Sorry

[BigMykul]

by skyk-2009 April 30, 2010 6:55 AM EDT
wdh3007, what Arizona is doing to it's citizens and their rights is CRIMINAL and that's a fact. We need to deal with this problem WITH our Hispanic Citizens. We DO NOT need to treat them like Second Class Citizens and ignore them when their rights are being threatened

Three times you mentioned the key issue in this statement...CITIZENS...
Like car insurance and seatbelts, this law is only enforced during a traffic stop, or some other infraction to give law-enforcement the ability to check citizenship if they suspect someone if squatting in this country. What is so wrong with having to present your id? Many states require that adult citizens cary identification and present same when requested by law enforcement.

[bychanceiii]

BS

[NvBigBee]

what Arizona is doing to it's citizens and their rights is CRIMINAL
??????????????
"ILLEGALS" not "CITIZENS"
INSTEAD OF IMAGINING WHAT YOU WANT, INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO THE RHETORIC, READ THE TRUTH!!!!!!!!!

[BigMykul]

by skyk-2009 April 30, 2010 7:11 AM EDT
It's time for REASONABLE People to sit down at the Table, INCLUDING the American Hispanic Community, and come up with a reasonable Immigration Policy for this nation that makes sense. We need to INCREASE the security on the border but THAT is going to cost MONEY. We need to put SERIOUS Jail Time on anyone who hires Illegals to exploit their Cheap Labor. We need some sort of Temporary Worker Program or we will be paying $10 for a Tomato AND we need some common sense way for Hispanic Immigrants to obtain Citizenship. Some sort of National Identification System needs to be put in place, not just for this but because of Terrorism as well. I just hope people, sane people, can push aside bigotry and hate long enough to get it done because I can hear Al Queda Laughing all the way to MY state.

Let's see, you are against illegals being checked for citizenship, but have no problem with having all citizens have to to carry/present their papers???