Arizona has now lit the fuse, and an explosion is guaranteed to happen ...

[Blackhatjack]

The promoters of the new Arizona Immigration Law did not take into consideration what is about to happen.

There are going to be confrontations on the streets. Jails are going to be overflowing. Lawsuits are going to pile up faster than the Clerk of Court can file them.

And this is going to completely dominate the attention of law enforcement. Other criminal conduct is going to get less attention, and as a result people may be significantly less safe.

The rest of the country will be watching .... and wondering how this ever became law in Arizona.

Edit: fixed typo.

[slackmaster]

1. I'm wondering how you will be able to tell...

There are going to be confrontations on the streets. Jails are going to be overflowing. Lawsuits are going to pile up faster than the Clerk of Court can file them.

That sounds a lot like things already are.

[CherokeeDem]

2. The Very First Thought That I Had....

She just lit the match...

[SargeUNN]

3. I am urging all to challenge those to ask Pearce and Co. for B.C.

since now a person can be brown skinned and must carry a birth certificate, I want to have people ask Pearce for his anywhere he speaks. These who voted for this must now be challenged by their own law.

[HughMoran]

4. It might take some time - cops really don't want this responsibility

I'm guessing some right-wing hotshot will do something stupid at some point though.

[Tempest]

7. The cops were against the bill

The police association in AZ came out against the bill.

[HughMoran]

Yep, cops have traditionally opposed being used for immigrant control

They know that they depend on the people in their areas to tell them what is going on. If the police are now seen as the enemy to even the honest people who would otherwise work with them, it makes their jobs untenable. This is why I don't think enforcement will be widespread. I do think it WILL be used for retribution and right-wing political purposes though - which makes this is a really awful law.

[Tempest]

13. It's going to get ugly and real fast

All it's going to take is one racist cop to take advantage of the law and all hell is going to break loose.

I hope the ACLU and human rights groups are watching AZ closely.

[WolverineDG]

18. Also because it makes crime victims less likely to call for help

and so maybe a cop doesn't like illegal immigration, but I double-guarantee you he or she hates drug dealers/rapists/robbers/murderers a fuck-load more.

dg

[paulsby]

20. as a local cop, i agree

we aint friggin' "la migra"

i *am* for strong immigration enforcement, but...

local cops need to work WITH the community and the community of people here illegally is STILL primarily law abiding

victims, witnesses etc. need to be able to be free to come forward w.o worrying about us questioning their immigration status

i do not support the polar opposite of AZ as seen in Seattle, where by law it's a crime for THEM to even ASK about immigration status of an ARRESTEE (even a felony arrestee). *that* is ridiculous

[dixiegrrrrl]

17. But lookee here..cops HAVE TO do it..

"It also allows people to sue local governments or agencies if they are failing to enforce federal or state immigration law. "

What fun. You can personally go after ANY elected (Republican, of course) Hispanic person, by telling the police to ask them for their papers.
And if the police refuse, you can sue the Police Dept. for not enforcing the law.

Saul Alinsky ( god rest his soul) would just love this.

[TwilightGardener]

30. I imagine there will be a big increase in the number of "concerned citizens" calling

to say that this person, or that family, is probably illegal and should be checked out. This will take up a lot of law enforcement time, as the OP says.

[blm]

5. that 'explosion' has been set up to conveniently distract from GOPs financial reform positions where

they drop their angry populist mask and side in lockstep with the BIG BANKS and the powerful financiers in....an....election....year.

Nice cover, eh?

[SargeUNN]

8. if so it really scares me how dumbed down we are

If we can't focus on more than one thing, then we are doomed.

[blm]

16. not us, per se...the corporate MEDIA of COURSE will oblige the GOP and their wingnuts while they

protect their own Wall St paychecks.

[Tempest]

6. God help the racist whites in AZ

If and when the Hispanic community there gets together and starts voting in large blocs.

There won't be a white majority in AZ government ever again.

[caty]

9. They are showing the rest of the

country what it would be like if the right wing conservatives had complete control of the government. This will be a rude awakening for them. I hope it does not happen, but I see someone innocent being badly injured or even killed because of this. It's hard to believe there are some people in our country who are that damn stupid.

[DCBob]

10. I think the biggest impact will be the few remaining Republican Hispanics..

will now abandon the party. This action finally drives home the fact that the Republican party is first and foremost a white man's party.

[AllenVanAllen]

11. It's going to backfire on republicans

and it will ultimately fail...

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[paulsby]

21. it's a bit more complex than that

local cops don't have federal jurisdiction, but they CAN inquire into federal crimes, and then pass the info on to the feds. generally speaking, they can detain (but not custodially arrest) for violations of some federal laws. espionage for instance

[TexasObserver]

14. Stop all federal money to all Arizona projects immediately.

Assert control of the Arizona National Guard and send them all to Iraq and Afghanistan. Replace them in Arizona with US troops on rotation back from Iraq and Afghanistan, fresh from patrols in those wars.

That would be a good start. An assertion of federal dominion, a removal of any local troops who might be a problem, and the insertion of troops loyal to the union.

If they want to act like Confederates, they should be treated like them.

[BlooInBloo]

15. Good thing it's not about race, else I'd be worried.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

19. It'll blow back in their faces.

Just like the last time they tried to make illegal immigration a big issue.

[bergie321]

22. It's all Obama's fault

(seriously)

Why did he have to take away our Janet Napolitano?

[dmr]

34. My thinking is she's relieved she doesn't have to deal with it. n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

23. It will jeopardize the safety and lives of many people.

[caty]

24. A lot of

residents will leave the state. There goes their tax revenue. And if their population goes down, it will cut down their representation in the government. I'm thinking the heat there has fried their brains.

[Tailormyst]

27. Especially anyone with an accent, why would they stay?

Can you imagine not having your papers with you or having someone say they are fake? The time and embarrassment, not to mention job and childcare situations- no parent is going to risk that.

Cops are going to have a whole segment of criminals preying on immigrants knowing those immigrants will be to afraid to call the police.

[Tailormyst]

25. Ugh- this is a horrible, horrible law for all involved.

It's going to blow up in their faces, bigtime.

[Orlandodem]

26. Let's hope the explosion occurs in November when Hispanics once and for all

decide to vote Dem. Many Hispanics vote GOP for abortion reasons. Abortion is a wedge issue. The GOP thanks Hispanics for their vote but really want them to go "home"....you know...south of the border.

I hope the GOP just killed any hopes they had for major pickups in Congress this November.

[RC]

28. When is this country gonna grow up act like an adult country?

Go after the companies and people that heir illegals? The preadolescent thinking of the Right is getting quite sickening.

[Zomby Woof]

29. The batshit cowboy libertarians of AZ will get theirs

[lunatica]

31. I'd wager that there are plenty of brown skinned cops in AZ

And there's probably a very large middle class of brown skinned people too.

[GoldenOldie]

33. My wish for the Arizona Republican Legislatures.......

while you have reduced funding for the police, education, health care for children and at the same time passed a no gun permits for one and all, and have now ordered all police to enforce an unconstitutional law which can and will be used to profile and abuse any and all citizens. My wish for all you heartless, incompetent, lazy bigots is that you find yourself, your families and your possessions in dire need of public assistance from a depleted, uneducated, ill-equipped police force who are to busy catching those brown people to help you.

You don't have the guts nor the brains to go after the business owners who hire the illegals as they are the ones who pay your campaign bills and thus own you....similar to the Mafia. As with all of your pitiful political decisions, you chose the easy route. It didn't take brains or any effort to simply slash funding and it didn't take brains or sweat to use racial profiling to solve your headache on illegal immigration problem.

The beauty of the Grand Canyon, the sunsets, etc., have lost out to the ugliness and bigotry of the Arizona Republican Legislature.

[IDemo]

32. I'd be very surprised if my state didn't pass a copycat bill