- IMAGE: Leo Garcia
By ZAZIL DAVIS-VAZQUEZ
Around the country, protesters are rallying against the Arizona state senate bill SB-1070. This bill forces immigrants who are not citizens and who are over age 14 to carry their identification papers at all times. The law also gives police officers the right to pull over anyone they think might be an illegal immigrant. This means the police can stop people based on the way they look. Any immigrant not carrying papers can be arrested and sent to jail for up to 20 days the first time this happens.
People are also joining protests to persuade the Major League Baseball (MLB) commissioner, Bud Selig, to boycott Arizona for the All-Star Game in 2011. The All-Star game is a baseball tournament held in the middle of the baseball season. Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, plans to host the game in 2011. However, because of SB-1070, many people want Bud Selig to choose another location.
Previous boycotts have occurred against countries and states in the midst of political controversies. For example, South Africa was not allowed to take part in the Olympics from 1964 to 1992 because of its apartheid government, a system that legalized the separation of people based on race.
Many MLB players have spoken against this law, saying that it is unfair and wrong. In an interview with the Miami Herald, Augie Ojeda of the Arizona Diamondbacks said, “If I leave the park after a game and I get stopped, am I supposed to have papers on me? I don’t think that’s fair.”
Boycott: To stop doing business with or to stop buying something from a place because you want them to change what they’re doing.
Zazil Davis-Vazquez, 16, is a student in Queens, New York.
Biased reporting. First, this is the law in the sovereign state of Arizona, passed by the Peoples’ representatives and signed by the Governor; not a senate bill as you state. Second, the law does not give “police officers the right to pull over anyone they think might be an illegal immigrant.” and it does not mean “the police can stop people based on the way they look”, in fact the opposite is true – such stops would be illegal under the law. The law requires legal immigrants to carry papers and state laws require everyone to provide identification to law enforcement when asked. If you are going to report on this story report all the facts. There are also athletes, entertainers, and 70 percent of the American people that support the Arizona law.
Here is part of the text of the Arizona Senate Bill SB 1070:
Sec. 2. Title 11, chapter 7, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding article 8, to read:
ARTICLE 8. ENFORCEMENT OF IMMIGRATION LAWS
B. FOR ANY LAWFUL CONTACT MADE BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR AGENCY
OF THIS STATE OR A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE WHERE REASONABLE SUSPICION EXISTS THAT THE PERSON IS AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES, A REASONABLE ATTEMPT SHALL BE MADE, WHEN PRACTICABLE, TO DETERMINE THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE PERSON. THE PERSON’S IMMIGRATION STATUS SHALL BE VERIFIED WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PURSUANT TO 8 UNITED STATES CODE SECTION 1373(c).
[The full bill is at: http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf%5D