More reflections on SB 1070, public safety, and what is wrong with this bill

I wrote a post a few days ago about SB1070 and what is wrong with it. You can read that post by clicking here. My post generated a few responses here on the blog as well as on Facebook and in some actual face-to-face conversations.

You can read the full text of the responses written to my blog by clicking here. I want to take some time to respond to those, to keep this civil dialogue going about SB 1070 and more generally about immigration in the United States.

I want to repeat what I started my last blog post with, I agree that illegal immigration is a major problem in the United States. I agree that it needs to be dealt with, however SB 1070 is not the right way to deal with it.

Many of the points made in the responses to my first blog post deal with illegal immigration itself and don't do anything to actually address what I said about SB1070. Again, I am not debating whether or not illegal immigration is a problem. While many of the points made about illegal immigration have some validity, unfortunately SB1070 does nothing to address those points, but it does have many negative consequences.

Anonymous stated, "Arizona is a portal for illegal immigrant trafficking in drugs and humans. Illegals are also coming across our border and murdering Arizona Citizens, they even killed our envoys in Mexico several weeks ago and you think this is OK? Mexicans steal over 50,000 trucks and cars a year, Phoenix is the kidnapping capitol of the country. The border patrol picks up thousands of illegal every year, and you think this is OK? Mexican coyotes bring hundreds of illegals into Phoenix and put them in drop houses and extort money from their families in mexico for additional money for their release,that is OK?" **I would like to see the sources for the statement about "Mexicans stealing 50,000 trucks and cars a year, Phoenix is the kidnapping capitol of the country."

And Don Brown stated, A state has every right to protect its citizens when the Federal government fails or refuses to do so. It is a crime to be in the US illegally and enforcing the Law is not racism. It is the duty of the police and the state officials to enforce the laws and protect their law abiding citizens."

Arizona is one of many states that sees illegal immigrant trafficking in drugs and humans, and it is true that immigrants have come across the border and killed Arizona Citizens and killed the envoys in Mexico (although that was in Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, so it doesn't have much to do with Arizona or SB1070.)

Again, I think these are all tragic issues that need to be dealt with, and I don't think that they are OK to answer the question posted in the response. The point I was making is that SB 1070 is not the way to deal with any of this.

The primary argument being made in both of these responses is an argument for PUBLIC SAFETY. In the case of SB1070, it is not going to help resolve any of these issues or make the state any safer. In fact, SB1070 is probably going to make the state less safe.

First, refer to the point I made in my last blog post about reporting of crime.

Second, forcing local police to demand people’s papers and arrest those who can’t immediately prove their status will do nothing to make Arizona safer. What it will do is divert scarce police resources to address false threats and force officers to prioritize immigration enforcement over other public safety responsibilities. This is not going to help the murder rates in Arizona, the kidnappings, the theft of vehicles. SB1070 will actually make things worse relative to public safety.

Third, arresting more illegal immigrants simply because of their immigration status and putting them in city and county jails will overcrowd the jails so there will be no room for the criminals committing more heinous crimes.

Fourth, this will also overwhelm the criminal justice system and cost state taxpayers more money. SB1070 does not make the state safer and does not address any of the ills that were listed that come from illegal immigration.

That is why it is not supported by local law enforcement officials such as the Flagstaff police department and the Coconino County Sheriff's office as you can see in my previous post. Many other law enforcement agencies in the state have also come down against SB1070. Below are some quotes from law enforcement agencies, many in Southern Arizona, closest to and perhaps most profoundly impacted by undocumented immigrants:

Richard Muñoz, South Tucson police chief: Opposes the bill, citing concerns about racial profiling and saying it could hinder catching criminals. "With the majority of our population in South Tucson being Hispanic, I think they'll fear reporting crimes to us," Muñoz said. "That will hurt our ability to bring a lot of those criminals to justice."

Clarence Dupnik, Pima County sheriff: He called the bill nothing more than a meaningless exercise that leaves him and others scratching their heads about what the Legislature thinks. The requirements in the bill go too far and leave the possibility of racial profiling open to law enforcement leaders, depending on how they interpret the law, he said. Deputies already turn over suspected illegal immigrants to the Border Patrol on a regular basis.

Tony Estrada, Santa Cruz County sheriff: The bill is unreasonable, Estrada said, adding that his office can't afford to take on the job of federal immigration agents. "I have told people: 'Don't let this happen, because you will just be doing the federal government's job," Estrada said. "It's not our job. . . . I'm disappointed because they are painting all illegal immigrants with a broad brush," Estrada said. "Everybody is bad; everybody is harmful; everybody is hurting the economy. That is not necessarily true."

The Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police Opposes SB1070. The chiefs' organization said that it could erode trust with immigrants who may be witnesses. The group also warned that it would be too costly and would distract police from dealing with more serious problems.

At the end of the day, when it comes to arguments about public safety and SB1070, the arguments just don't stand up to scrutiny.

For local law enforcement to be forced to deal with a person's immigration status diverts attention, focus and resources from more dangerous crimes like murder, kidnapping, burglary, home invasions, and car thefts.

I would rather law enforcement resources be focused on these problems whether the people committing the crimes are documented or undocumented. If a police officer has to make a choice between arresting someone whose only crime is not having proper documentation and arresting someone who is driving drunk and potentially putting at risk anyone on the road, I want the police focusing on the drunk driver.

Undocumented immigrants who commit other crimes need to be punished just like anyone else. However simply committing the crime of being in this country without documentation and mandating local law enforcement to deal with that does not improve public safety in the state of Arizona because it diverts scarce resources away from dealing with more heinous crimes that have a devastating impact on their victims.

Once again, I would encourage feedback and a civil dialogue about these issues. Please try to keep the comments on point and don't engage in personal attacks.