Twenty thousand protestors rallied once again in Phoenix to plead with Washington, D.C. to change the new immigration law in Arizona that allows local law enforcement officers to deal with illegal immigrants at their discretion.
The law, which was supposedly created in order to maintain the security of the state’s residents by allowing illegal immigrants to be identified and dealt with accordingly, has been mainly supported by Arizona residents.
The general consensus in the state reveals that most people want to keep illegal immigrants out of Arizona. They believe that the law is perfectly fair as well as legitimate and favor stricter immigration laws in general. Moreover, supporters of the law believe it will be effective in lowering crime rates that are attributed to illegal immigrants.
Retired SWAT commander, Dan Marcou recounted the murder of Robert Krentz, an Arizona resident, who was shot to death when trying to act as an intermediary in a drug raid involving illegal immigrants.
Immigration lawyers, immigrants, and other opponents of the law still uphold the belief that it will lead to discrimination and racial profiling. Instead of bringing security to the people of Arizona, it will only cause a rift between cultures. Tensions between citizens and residents and immigrants will likely lead to more protests, crimes and violence.
In addition, not only will it make life for illegal immigrants difficult, but it will also cause problems for legal immigrants, especially when it comes to finding a job.
The stipulations for the law were largely created by lawyer Kris Kobach. Kobach is known for his anti-immigration sentiments and has been supporting strict immigration laws for years. He is a council member of the Immigration Law Reform Institute in Washington, D.C.
Kobach firmly believes that by tightening state laws on illegal immigrants, the immigrants themselves will be inclined to leave the country of their own accord or seek legality.
Opposing immigration lawyers are taking house on the opposite side of the spectrum as Kobach. Many are certain that the strict laws against illegal immigrants will further compel them to hide their identities instead of seeking refuge or asylum. Fears of being caught by the police and of potential negative consequences will lead them to go into hiding.
Opponents of the law urge illegal immigrants not to hide or isolate themselves, but to acquire the help of an immigration lawyer that is skilled in the area of U.S. Immigration Law and that will help them to achieve legal status in America.
