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For Immediate Release
April, 30 2010, 01:14pm EDT
Contact:
Phone: (202) 463-2940,Email:,washingtonbureau@naacpnet.org
National NAACP Joins Its Arizona State Conference In Outrage Over Racial Profiling Impact On Arizona's New So Called Immigration Law
The NAACP issued the following statement today regarding SB1070; a
new law in Arizona that gives local law enforcement the right to arrest
anyone they suspect is in the country illegally. Governor Jan Brewer
signed SB1070 into Arizona law on Friday, April 23rd.
"The
NAACP is outraged that in 2010, a sitting Governor would sign a law
that empowers local law enforcement to legally use racial profiling to
target entire communities. It is a violation of the respect for human
rights that is the moral standard of our nation and it threatens the
safety of us all as both immigr
WASHINGTON
The NAACP issued the following statement today regarding SB1070; a
new law in Arizona that gives local law enforcement the right to arrest
anyone they suspect is in the country illegally. Governor Jan Brewer
signed SB1070 into Arizona law on Friday, April 23rd.
"The
NAACP is outraged that in 2010, a sitting Governor would sign a law
that empowers local law enforcement to legally use racial profiling to
target entire communities. It is a violation of the respect for human
rights that is the moral standard of our nation and it threatens the
safety of us all as both immigrants and citizens will be fearful of
reporting crimes to police. The law unwisely redirects the role of
the Federal Immigration and Naturalization Department to local police
officers diverting local resources from fighting crime to investigating
undocumented people who might be in this country," stated NAACP
President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. "Governor Brewer's signature
on SB1070 is another attempt to roll the clock back on civil rights
protections in this country."
"The passage of SB1070 is an
embarrassment to the equal protection clause in the U.S. Constitution,
and if we are not careful will leave a permanent stain on the United
State's reputation throughout the world. As an association that has
fought for more than 100 years to ensure that basic rights and freedoms
would be equally extended to all, it is disheartening to see the State
of Arizona enact a law that tramples on the civil rights of Hispanic
persons, and one that cannot be enforced without resorting to racial
and ethnic profiling. We intend to use the full weight of our 2200
branches and units to ensure that this law is repealed and does not
happen in other states across this nation," stated NAACP Chairman
Roslyn M. Brock. "As a nation we must enact comprehensive immigration
reform so people who are in this country without documentation will
have a path to citizenship, and we look forward to working toward that
goal with the President and Congress in the coming months."
The
proposed law requires state, county, and municipal employees to
ascertain the immigration status of a person if there is "reasonable
suspicion" that the person is unlawfully present in the U.S. It also
subjects local governments and their personnel to lawsuits by any
citizen who feels that the new law is not being enforced sufficiently.
The law would impose a $500 fine, among other costs, and a misdemeanor
charge leading to possible deportation for individuals who could not
show proof of legal presence
"The NAACP is deeply
disappointed that Governor Brewer signed SB1070 into law. This new law
effectively legalizes the incendiary practice of racial profiling and
will adversely affect communities of color across Arizona. Moreover,
it sets a dangerous precedent for other states to follow suit and pass
similar discriminatory measures," stated NAACP Washington Bureau
Director and Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy Hilary O.
Shelton. "We look forward to working with other national civil rights
groups, the U.S. Congress and President Obama to achieve comprehensive
immigration reform so that racially and ethnically discriminatory laws
like SB1070 are rendered irrelevant and useless."
Founded Feb. 12. 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest, largest and most widely recognized grassroots-based civil rights organization. Its more than half-million members and supporters throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.
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