The Congressional Tri-Caucus Speaks Out Against Arizona’s Anti-Immigration Law SB 1070 Scheduled To Go Before the United States Supreme Court this Week

Washington D.C. The Chairs of the Congressional Hispanic, Black and Asian Pacific American Caucus released the following statements condemning Arizona’s anti-immigrant law scheduled to go before the United States Supreme Court this week:
CHC Chairman Charles A. Gonzalez (TX-20):
“Tomorrow, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the first legal challenge to a state anti-immigrant law. Since its passage, SB1070 has legalized profiling of Latinos, prevented local police from doing their jobs by turning them into immigration agents, and codified harassment of families and communities. This misguided law, which includes the “show me your papers” provision and provides legal cover for warrant-less arrests, does not represent the values on which our country was founded. Hopefully, the Supreme Court will seize the opportunity to restore justice for the well-being of all our communities by overturning SB1070.”

CAPAC Chairwoman Judy Chu (CA-32):
“Arizona’s attempt to create its own immigration policy is more than just unconstitutional: it’s dangerous for the American people. The Constitution grants the federal government sole authority to make and enforce immigration policy. Arizona’s SB1070 undercuts this federal role and codifies the use of racial profiling to do it. From Jim Crowe to the Chinese Exclusion Act to the NYPD surveillance of Muslim Americans, minority groups in this country have come to know what it means to be targeted for who they are. It is not, has never been, and will never be acceptable. I urge the Supreme Court to overturn this egregious overstep for the safety of every American citizen.”

CBC Chairman Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-5):
“Tomorrow the United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the constitutionality of Arizona’s anti-immigrant law, SB 1070. The Supreme Court has the opportunity to officially reject the use of racial profiling and discrimination against Hispanics and other minorities. Throughout our 41-year history, the Congressional Black Caucus has worked tirelessly to ensure that all Americans, regardless of race, color or creed have the chance to pursue and achieve the American dream. Arizona’s un-American law promotes discrimination based on appearance and accent. To do so encourages discrimination against all people of color—including those who have been American citizens all their lives. It appears that some would like for our communities to think about immigration in terms of ‘us vs. them’, and I vehemently reject that notion. Many American workers are suffering from dire economic conditions, and our broken immigration system creates a race to the bottom for the worst paying and most difficult jobs. I urge the Supreme Court to strike down the Arizona law and protect our citizens’ basic rights. It is time that we all come to the table, negotiate, and fix our broken immigration system and establish comprehensive immigration reform, not a confusing patchwork of fifty different laws. We need reform if we want to level the playing field in the workplace and stop the race to the bottom that our current system promotes.”