Your Papers, Please, Phoenix and Flagstaff

Arizona's GOP governor Jan Brewer may be just days away from signing into law Arizona's zero tolerance policy on illegal immigration, forcing police into racially profiling, arresting, and deporting anyone they have a "reasonable suspicion" about as far as being in the country illegally.

According to Brewer's spokesperson, she now has until 5 p.m. Saturday to act on the bill.

Brewer can sign the bill, veto it or do nothing, which would still allow the bill to become law.

"It's morally inconsiderate and not right. It's not right," said Sonnia Whiteman, an opponent of SB 1070.

It appears some of the nation's prominent religious leaders would agree with Whiteman.

In a Sunday post on his blog, Los Angeles archbishop Roger Mahony likened the potential law to "German Nazi and Russian Communist techniques whereby people are required to turn one another in to the authorities."

Though Governor Brewer has yet to speak out about the bill, she now has five days to sign the bill into law or veto it, sending it back to the legislature.

Needless to say, the backlash against the bill has been brutal.  And of course, the Republicans are simply saying they are enforcing the law.

Members of the group said they believe the law would give local law enforcement license to racially profile.

"The bottom line of what (SB 1070) does is victimize an entire class of people," said Antonio Bustamante with the Hispanic Bar Association.  "It's a Bill of Rights for racial profiling."

The law would require police to question people about their immigration status if there is any reason to believe they are in the country illegally.

"Right now, the way things are being targeted, is that all Latinos are undocumented, and that's absolutely not true," said protester Alejandra Gomez.  "I'm a citizen, and if I'm pulled over, that's ridiculous. It's unjust, it's immoral and it's inhumane."

The bill is sponsored by Senator Russell Pearce.

"I find it amazing that we continue to debate an issue that's so simple to me -- enforce the laws," said Pearce at a recent meeting.

Supporters say the bill uncuffs law enforcement to protect the state from violent criminals. U.S. Sen. John McCain endorsed the measure Monday.

"I think the people of Arizona understandably are frustrated and angry," the Arizona Republican said. "It's also a commentary on the frustration that our state Legislature has that the federal government has not fulfilled its constitutional responsibilities to secure our borders."

You know what would end this law really, really quickly?  Let's truly "uncuff law enforcement."  If I were an Arizona police department chief and this becomes law, I'd have my officers pull over everyone, white, black, Latino, Asian, everybody.  I'd set up checkpoints.  I'd say "I have a reasonable suspicion you may be in Arizona from Canada or Denmark or France illegally.  I need to determine your status."  And I mean hit everybody.  Back up traffic.  Do it smack in the middle of a busy traffic situation.  Particularly outside any gated communities, country clubs and golf courses. 

Then just claim you're doing your job.


This law would be overturned in a matter of weeks the first time a wealthy Republican donor got caught without their driver's license and booked for possible deportation proceedings.  This law would vanish with remarkable alacrity, like a thunderstorm in the Arizona desert.


That would get this nixed almost immediately.


That's my solution.  Hope we have some Arizona readers...