One Year Later, SB 1070 Serves as a Warning

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — One year ago today, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed SB 1070, a racial profiling law targeting immigrant communities, into law. Although significant portions of the law have been blocked by the courts, lawmakers in several states across the country are attempting to enact similar legislation during the 2011 legislative year. Utah’s governor already has signed such a bill into law, and a similar measure is on Georgia Governor Deal’s desk for his approval. Below is a statement from Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center:

“One year after Governor Brewer signed the misguided racial profiling law, Arizona has seen millions in lost tourism revenue, engaged multiple lawsuits, and suffered a tremendous blow to their reputation. Arizona’s efforts to defend this unconstitutional law have so far been fruitless: the courts have protected fundamental constitutional values by blocking key portions of the law before it was able to trample the rights of countless Arizonans of color.

“Many of us, from California to Kentucky, watched in horror as our own legislators introduced Arizona copycat legislation. Thankfully, in many states, communities have joined together to declare a collective ‘¡Basta!’ to such racial profiling legislation. Unfortunately, Utah has chosen to join Arizona on its divisive path, and a few states, including Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, threaten to follow suit.

“Utah, Alabama, Florida, and others should closely examine Arizona’s current financial and social situation. The choice is theirs: They can embrace immigrant integration and community cohesion, or they can choose the politics of divisiveness and find themselves as targets of economic boycotts and subject to costly litigation in the near future.”

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