Arizona bills to cut illegal immigration fail
Read this whole article to see what they were trying to pass.
PHOENIX - Concluding the measures go too far, state senators on Thursday rejected a package of bills designed to crack down on illegal immigration.
With Republicans joining minority Democrats, lawmakers refused to approve bills designed to deny citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants.
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The votes are a major setback for Senate President Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, who wrote or backed each of the five bills. And he did not hide his displeasure with foes of the bills, including colleagues.
“The only impediment to enforcing our laws is the lack of political courage on the part of our elected and appointed officials,” Pearce said. “You bear the burden and responsibility for the costs and the maimings and the deaths.”
At least some of the Republicans who voted against the package said they were swayed by opposition from the business community.
That campaign culminated earlier this week with a letter to legislators citing a boycott and hit to Arizona’s economy from passage of last year’s SB 1070, which gave police more power to arrest illegal immigrants. They argued that new moves in this direction would further slow economic development.
“It’s something that the people don’t want us to be focusing on,” said Sen. John McComish, R-Phoenix. He also said the whole debate over illegal immigration has become a “distraction”’ from more important issues like the budget, crime and health care.
Pearce sniffed at the effort.
“I stand on the side of citizens, not a bunch of businessmen who write me a letter,” he said. And Pearce claimed 75 percent of Arizonans support tougher state laws aimed at illegal immigrants.
They may get a chance to show that: Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, said the refusal of lawmakers to adopt the bills leaves only one option: Take the issue to the ballot. Voters have approved every anti-immigrant bill that has gone to the ballot since 2004.
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That “opposition from the business community”, which is the “bunch of business men who sent [Pearce] a letter”, seems to be what turned the tide. Here’s a link to the letter. And an excerpt:
…While we recognize the desire for states like Arizona to fill the leadership vacuum left by federal inaction on immigration, we strongly believe it is unwise for the Legislature to pass any additional immigration legislation, including any measures leaving the determination of citizenship to the state.They seem to agree on the issues, just not the political approach to those issues. The list of signers is long, and presumably distinguished. I don’t know them, but I’ve heard of the corporations they head.We agree with you that our borders must be protected first, and now. We also believe that market-driven immigration policies can and should be developed by the federal government that will sustain America’s status as a magnet for the world’s most talented and hard-working people and preserve our ability to compete in the global economy.
If the Legislature believes it is worthwhile to debate the question of citizenship, we believe that debate is best held in the U.S. Congress. Already, Senators David Vitter of Louisiana and Rand Paul of Kentucky have introduced legislation aimed at amending the 14th Amendment to deny “birthright citizenship” to those born to individuals living in the U.S. illegally. Iowa Rep. Steve King has introduced similar legislation in the U.S. House. …
The battle was lost by Pearce, but the war is not over.