SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is profoundly disappointed with Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s decision to sign what is the most reckless state immigration law in the country. The ADL was founded 97 years ago with the mission “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.”
With this in mind, we question what is fair and just about a criminal justice system that serves only to deter those victims of or witnesses to a crime, who will not come forward for fear of deportation.
Equally hideous is the ability to detain suspects based on the ethnicity or appearance of another human being, by hiding behind the vague definition of “reasonable suspicion.” We at the ADL do not believe that this law will enhance border enforcement, improve safety, or deter employers from hiring undocumented workers. To the contrary, we that Senate Bill 1070 will instead:
- Encourage employers to take advantage of undocumented aliens without fear of being reported;
- Undermine the trust of minority communities essential to effective policing;
- Mandate substantial responsibility to the police that they are ill equipped or improperly trained to handle;
- Violate the constitution mandate requiring the federal government to set and enforce immigration policy;
- Lead to racial and ethnic profiling; and
- Create a new and extremely vulnerable class of undocumented aliens that are unwilling to be identified, or accounted for.
We believe this type of political response to a real and present issue is divisive, expensive, and ultimately illegal, and will fail to serve the ends to which it is addressed. Make no mistake about the ADL’s views; we believe it is the responsibility of the government to maintain the integrity of our borders. It is estimated that the undocumented population in the United States is between 10 and 12 million; this bill is based on an enforcement-only approach and will not resolve the complicated issues that must be dealt with.
Comprehensive immigration reform is needed to reduce illegal immigration with a workable system that serves security, humanitarian, and economic interests.
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Preceding provided by the Anti-Defamation League