This is not a “News” story. It is an opinion piece masquerading as a news story. The author is entitled to his opinions, but SFWeekly should have the integrity to portray this article for what it is, and not engage in propaganda.
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It led also to a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice this year, aimed at the sheriff's widespread discriminatory policing.
All this makes it obvious that increased civil disobedience is necessary to get the point across to the Obama administration.
Illustration by Justin Renteria
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"There needs to be a show of force," says Soto. "Meaning we're not going to let [the government] operate the way [it] wants to operate. Whatever that means, whatever that looks like."
Isabel Garcia of the Tucson human rights organization Coalition de Derechos Humanos agrees that Latinos and their supporters must ramp up public protests.
"At some point ... there will have to be a call for mass disobedience," she notes.
Garcia fears that what she calls the "Tucson model" will become standard throughout the country.
Tucson is 60 miles north of the border, within the Border Patrol's constitution-free zone of operations. When Tucson cops run across someone they believe is undocumented, they call the Border Patrol, and the suspected illegal immigrants are carted away in trucks that look like dog kennels.
"Here [in Tucson] you can be back across that border in an hour, and your family doesn't know anything," says Garcia. "It's really brutal."
If the Supreme Court rules as predicted, Arizona law enforcement will have "absolute license" to practice racial profiling, she adds.
Pablo Alvarado, director of the Los Angeles-based National Day Laborer Organizing Network, says his immigrant-rights coalition will "push back, hard," if the Supreme Court upholds the "papers, please" portion of S.B. 1070.
That pushback will take many forms: legally (Alvarado's group already is a plaintiff in one of the lawsuits against S.B. 1070); by supporting anti-S.B. 1070 legislation, such as California's proposed TRUST Act; through political pressure to create new "sanctuary cities;" and by taking it to the streets.
"We will create a [moral] dilemma for everyone, friends or foes," Alvarado promises of the coming wave of protest.
His organization plans a Freedom Ride-style bus tour through states with S.B. 1070-like laws. In the bus will be scores of undocumented families who will present themselves to local and federal authorities in different cities, daring law enforcement to arrest them.
Alvarado said the idea was inspired by students agitating for the DREAM Act nationwide. In Alabama, Washington, D.C., Florida, and Arizona, these activists, brought to this country when they were children, have declared themselves "undocumented and unafraid," while participating in acts of civil disobedience.
One of the more daring examples of DREAM Act civil disobedience occurred in March, when 150 student protesters blocked a street in west Phoenix. Six undocumented students chose not to move from the center of the street, and were arrested, thus risking deportation.
In a YouTube clip released to coincide with her arrest with the others, Daniela Cruz explains how she and fellow DREAMers were fed up with living in a limbo where they cannot legally work, or go to college at an in-state tuition rate. America is the only home they've ever known, and they demonstrated that they are through being victims.
"I'm willing to risk everything I have," Cruz tells her audience. "I'm willing to risk being deported, because I'm done seeing people be scared."
To the surprise of both her and her jailers, ICE holds on Cruz and her cohorts were mysteriously lifted during their 28-hour stay in Joe Arpaio's Fourth Avenue Jail. They were released on misdemeanor charges.
Cruz and her pals quickly became heroes in the Latino community.
"One day we'll be reading about them in history books," declares Arizona state Sen. Steve Gallardo, who is pushing for repeal of S.B. 1070.
Gallardo predicts increased public protests in the wake of the expected Supreme Court ruling. "I'll be right there with them," he says.
A demonstration by the Phoenix human rights group Puente, scheduled for June 23, will target Arpaio's infamous Tent City. Hundreds of Unitarian Universalists convening in Phoenix during that weekend for a national conference have said they will participate in the protest.
The Unitarians and Puente teamed up in 2010 for a massive show of anti-S.B. 1070 civil disobedience that rocked Phoenix.
Puente's Carlos Garcia cites the example set by the DREAM Act kids as one to emulate.
"When undocumented people confront the system, it crumbles," he says. "And it becomes clear that they are more afraid of us than we are of them."
Given the status quo — a deadlocked Congress, an indifferent Supreme Court, and a president who's playing politics at the expense of his Latino constituency — what's needed this election year is the type of unrest this country hasn't seen since the 1970s, something on par with the 2011 student protests in Chile, where thousands of students took over Santiago to protest that country's unequal education system.
A refrain from the Shining Soul song "Papers" sums up the situation Latinos find themselves in — once again.
"Click-clack/ Where your papers at?/ We're under attack/ Fight back/ It's war."
Stephen Lemons is a staff writer and columnist for Phoenix New Times.
3 comments
Most Americans would agree that there is room for STEM workers (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) professions, but nobody in their right mind would suggest in encouraging low skilled or no skilled labor. Our country is still recovering from a deep recession and there are still millions of Americans seeking a decent job. That is incomprehensible and every conceivable barrier must be erected to halt this travesty. For decades these politicians have encouraged illegal immigration behind our back, otherwise illegal entry would be a FELONY. Join the growing numbers in the TEA PARTY who will reject every politician, mayor, police chief or other official, who condones this illegal alien invasion. Tea Party State Treasurer Mourdock unseated Indiana Senator Richard Lugar, as he had approved of illegal alien amnesty. Senator Lugar believed that illegal immigrants should have the same rights as citizens and law-abiding legal residents. Moudock stated that he will fight to secure our borders and ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent only on those legally allowed to live in the United States. Lugar had a long record of fighting for amnesty for illegal immigrants and was a primary sponsor of the DREAM Act, which would have fast-tracked amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants nationwide. Never before has a political membership in modern times, sprouted with such gigantic influence from the Republican Party in the millions. Liberal Democrats have a fight on their hands, from the Tea Party roots in our Democracy, founded on the U.S. constitution and representing all the people, not just the special interests. Investigate who are the good guys are and pro-sovereignty organization such as ALIPAC. The U.S. Constitutional TEA PARTY is baring its fangs, against any election contender who is a pro-illegal immigrant politician. Also remember there is an ugly battle brewing over non-citizens voting in any ongoing election, federal or state. The TEA PARTY will promote the issuance of some form of official picture ID, so only eligible citizens can vote. Remember this is the definitive different between eligible immigrants and illegal aliens. Every American or legal resident will be admitted to the TEA PARTY, no matter, their color, religion or political separation.
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