Obama Calls Arizona Immigration Bill 'Misguided'
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David Knowles

David Knowles Writer
AOL News
(April 23) -- Arizona lawmakers felt the gaze of the nation's leader today as President Barack Obama announced that his administration would be monitoring developments in the state, where a controversial immigration bill was poised for passage.

The new measure requires police officers to stop any person they suspect of being an illegal alien and ask them for proof of their immigration status. In addition, the law would punish people who hire or transport illegal aliens.

Calling the proposed law "misguided," Obama cited the failure of the federal government to enact comprehensive immigration reform as one reason that the Arizona legislature was compelled to act.

"Our failure to act responsible at the federal level will only open the door to irresponsibility by others," Obama said Friday at a Rose Garden ceremony in which 24 members of the U.S. military were made legal citizens. "That includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine the basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe."

Arizona's Republican governor, Jan Brewer, must decide by Saturday whether she will veto the measure. If Brewer signs the bill or simply does not issue a veto, the measure will become law.

If the the law is enacted, it will almost certainly be challenged in court, as the president seemed to suggest in his remarks.

"In fact, I've instructed members of my administration to closely monitor the situation and examine the civil rights and other implications of this legislation," he said. "But if we continue to fail to act at the federal level, we will continue to see misguided efforts opening up around the country."

The bill's primary sponsor, Republican state Sen. Russell Pearce, argues that the bill simply lets police officers do their job. Opponents of the measure, like Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., say that it will result in racial profiling.

Grijalva's office told AOL News that he expects the measure to become law, and that he plans to launch a nationwide boycott of his home state in response.

In his remarks at the White House, the president indicated that he intends to pursue immigration reform similar to that proposed by former President George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

"Over the years, many have attempted to confront this challenge, but passions are great and disagreements run deep," Obama said. "Yet surely we can all agree that when 11 million people in our country are living here illegally, outside the system, that's unacceptable. The American people demand and deserve a solution. And they deserve commonsense, comprehensive immigration reform grounded in the principles of responsibility and accountability."

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/obama-calls-arizona-immigration-bill-misguided/19452064

I agree.

Taking away citizens civil rights to legal search and seizure is not the way to go.

Nor would encouraging profiling be a good thing.

It is the federal government responsibility to get this reform done and make it uniform across the country.

Is Arizona really this full of hateful people? I did not realize that.

We can work it out without all the inhumane treatment of humans.

of course you would..

Of course it is "Fair" to turn a blind eye to the problems illegal immigration is causing. Is is fair to turn a blind eye to the fact that illegal immigrants are here "ILLEGALLY!"

So if you support illegal immigration is it alright then if I come by and steal your car? That's supposed to be illegal too isn't it?

Arizona is doing what the fed should have done years ago!

And of course here we go again with criminal rights too.

Fair treatment should go to those who at least try "as in they file for legitimization to be here" and can show proof of that effort is one thing. How about all of those happy illegals who are here with no desire to do squat until they get caught? There is no excuse for the mess we have but there is also no excuse for the fact the fed has been so slow to action this either. Obama has no answer to this problem and neither does congress. they keep tripping over politics and other BS to divert their attentions from the fact we had a system in the 70s that worked and everyone Fuqued that all up too.

We need better migrant worker policy more than anything! many of these so called "illegal immigrants" are nothing more than migrant workers. they need to be accounted for and they need to be taxed just like us to be here. They need to have the right bonding through due process (yeah I know, I can hear the laughter from here) and they can't be career criminals.

THAT IS FAIR AND BALANCED!

Not cockeyed policies, new laws, and status quo politics.

Simple analysis: If they weren't in OUR country ILLEGALLY, this would not even be a problem. But they ARE here illegally. I'm quite happy to see that AZ is ballsy enough to take the steps that are needed to stop the pre-positioning of hostile troops who owe allegiance to a foreign flag on OUR soil. They need to go. Good on ya, AZ ... and FY, Bo'ROCK ...

What's Hussein got to hide and why wouldn't he want all those pesky illegals sent home?

The new measure requires police officers to stop any person they suspect of being an illegal alien and ask them for proof of their immigration status. In addition, the law would punish people who hire or transport illegal aliens.<<This part is already Federal Law. Hussein finds Federal Law misguided????

And here's the latest iteration of the ongoing story ... Gov. Brewer has SIGNED IT INTO LAW ... ! Arizona ROCKS ... ! Now let's see how many OTHER states will 'grow a pair' ... I'll bet ya that the li'l short-pants-wearing pretender who sits in the 'big boy' chair won't like this one damned bit ... but that's tough - we STILL have the 10th Amendment ... If the illegals don't like it, well ... there's always MEXICO to REturn to (hint, hint) ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/23/AR2010042301250_pf.html

Ariz. governor signs immigration enforcement bill

By PAUL DAVENPORT and JONATHAN J. COOPER
 | The Associated Press | Friday, April 23, 2010; 6:17 PM

PHOENIX -- Gov. Jan Brewer ignored criticism from President Barack Obama on Friday and signed into law a bill supporters said would take handcuffs off police in dealing with illegal immigration in Arizona, the nation's gateway for human and drug smuggling.

With hundreds of protesters outside the state Capitol shouting that the bill would lead to civil rights abuses, Brewer said critics were "overreacting" and that she wouldn't tolerate racial profiling.

"We in Arizona have been more than patient waiting for Washington to act," Brewer said after signing the law. "But decades of inaction and misguided policy have created a dangerous and unacceptable situation."

Earlier Friday, Obama called the Arizona bill "misguided" and instructed the Justice Department to examine it to see if it's legal. He also said the federal government must enact immigration reform at the national level - or leave the door open to "irresponsibility by others."

"That includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe," Obama said.

The legislation, sent to the Republican governor by the GOP-led Legislature, makes it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally. It also requires local police officers to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal immigrants, allows lawsuits against government agencies that hinder enforcement of immigration laws, and make it illegal to hire illegal immigrants for day labor or knowingly transport them.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund said it plans a legal challenge to the law, arguing it "launches Arizona into a spiral of pervasive fear, community distrust, increased crime and costly litigation, with nationwide repercussions."

I am opposed to illegal immigration. I think more should be done to enforce the laws and prosecute the companies which hire illegal citizens. I do NOT agree with giving authorities the right for a witch hunt and see no other way to describe a bill allowing search of anyone 'suspected' of being illegal,,,,,where is the detail about what constitutes reasonable suspicion?

illegal is not a race

illegal is a crime

Correct. We've had all sorts of people from all over the world trying to cross at the AZ border. It's not a race issue.

It's also not about hate. It's about preserving America, our jobs, economy and making the space for those Immigrants who are trying to get here through legal channels.

and fairness to all those who do care enough to follow the laws...

Right on First point......Wrong on Second being illegal is a crime

And Kudo`s to the Arizona Gov. and Legislature for Bringing down the hammer.... It`s about time we HAD a witch hunt....Pick them um Print them arrest them then DEPORT them and if they come back and get caught again 2 years in Joe Arpio`s Work Camps no Parole.... So happy now we need this legislation to go NATIONWIDE....Calling my reps here in TN Monday....

I'd vote Joe for head of Homeland Security!!

In a NEW YORK SECOND!!!!

Joe For President!!! ( not gonna happen but I can dream LOL)

Tired Of Job`s and Resources being stolen from TAX paying REAL American... The Anchor Baby laws Gotta go to....

pick WHO up is the question,,,anyone who looks hispanic? in that case anyone who looks british or canadian? how do you SUSPECT someone of being illegal just by SEEING them? its a scary slope to start sliding down,,,,,,

If someone has broken a law and must show id,, that is one thing. But showing ID because you 'look' like an immigrant is totally infringing upon the right of every law abiding citizen who may happen to have enough immigrant blood to 'look' the part...

All they have to do is set up surprise drivers license and insurance checkpoints. Then, with the right to check residency status, they can pick them up.

If they find illegal papers and SS Cards, they can not only arrest them, they can save an Americans reputation and credit.

Walking across the desert, trespassing, with a bottle of water and a change of clothes, and being unable to speak a word of English isn't really profiling any more than walking away from a robbed bank with a gun and a bag of money.

I actually would find that acceptable,, because it is random and not potentially profiling just one TYPE of person. It is the broad open term 'suspicion' that I find to be a pandoras box. More detail needs to go into what can be considered 'reasonable' when it comes to suspicion.

more jobs are being lost to automation and outsourcing than to immigration,,,,If job loss is truly the issue, I would think it more reasonable to protest THOSE things first,,,