Reactions on SB 1070 being upheld in the Supreme Court?

[gimmethesimplelife]

To anyone who has read my posts over time, it will probably not be surprising that I am embarrassed - and saddened by this. I have often felt more of a kinship with Hispanics than Causcasians during my lifetime for reasons I won't get into here and now, this is beyond the scope of my question. Not too much I can do about it as the Supreme Court is the end of the road.....I am now still in Mexico and have been apologizing to people right and left - it's what little I can do. Rob

[bae]

I'm curious Rob - in Mexico, when the Mexican police have contact with you while enforcing a law they have reasonable suspicion you are violating, do they ask you for identification or ask you about your citizenship status?

And if they determine you are in Mexico illegally, what is the penalty there?

[gimmethesimplelife]

Honestly, Bae, I don't know, I have had no contact with the police, I don't break laws and this (Los Algodones) is not a place where the police try to shake down tourists for money, so....If you are found in Mexico illegally, there is a fine involved, if you are caught. Honestly, I have ran across several Americans this week who openly talked about being in Los Algodones illegally, as apparently these laws are not really enforced unless you cause issues. At any rate, to be here legally for an extended period of time, all you really need to do is go to a Mexican consulate and get a tourist card, something like $20, valid for 90 - 120 days depending on the mood of whoever is giving it out it seems....Very different from those in Mexico coming to the US. I worry that SB 1070 will shut off to some degree the escape valve Mexico can be for some who use it this way for medical, dental, cheap place to recover from the stress and constant demands of modern society, cheap place to regroup for major life changes, that kind of thing....rob

[Gregg]

I worry that SB 1070 will shut off to some degree the escape valve Mexico can be for some who use it this way for medical, dental, cheap place to recover from the stress and constant demands of modern society, cheap place to regroup for major life changes, that kind of thing....rob

I guess I'm a little confused by your last statement Rob. I realize a lot of people here do use Mexico for everything from dentist office to auto body shop to a frat house gone wild. And $20 for paperwork that allows you to stay there legally for 3 or 4 months is pretty darn cheap. I'm not sure how SB 1070 will close that down unless you believe the Mexican government is willing to shut down their largest legal source of revenue (tourism) just to get back at Arizona or the rest of the US because of this law.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I guess I'm a little confused by your last statement Rob. I realize a lot of people here do use Mexico for everything from dentist office to auto body shop to a frat house gone wild. And $20 for paperwork that allows you to stay there legally for 3 or 4 months is pretty darn cheap. I'm not sure how SB 1070 will close that down unless you believe the Mexican government is willing to shut down their largest legal source of revenue (tourism) just to get back at Arizona or the rest of the US because of this law.Pretty much I'm wondering if they will up the requirements to remain in Mexico for awhile, make it cost more, reduce the amount of time one can legally remain, just make it more difficult to be there in general.....But I agree, this would be shooting themselves in the foot as we - Americans - and other tourists, too - do represent Mexico's largest source of LEGAL income. Pretty much I see Mexco as a safety valve for a lot of people, I'm very against something that many Mexicans will consider inflammatory such as SB 1070....I have other reasons for being against it, too, though. Rob

[creaker]

The part I don't understand is what they are actually going to do with SB 1070 other than harrassment (kind of like the stop and frisk thing they have going on in NYC). If ICE is not going to change what they do, what does AZ do with anyone they decide may be here illegally?

[Alan]

The part I don't understand is what they are actually going to do with SB 1070 other than harrassment (kind of like the stop and frisk thing they have going on in NYC). If ICE is not going to change what they do, what does AZ do with anyone they decide may be here illegally?
That's a good question. What does a state do when they have a problem with illegal immigrants, the federal government won't let them deal with the problem themselves as it's a federal responsibility, and the federal government refuses to exercise their duty to act in the states interest?

[ToomuchStuff]

The part I don't understand is what they are actually going to do with SB 1070 other than harrassment (kind of like the stop and frisk thing they have going on in NYC). If ICE is not going to change what they do, what does AZ do with anyone they decide may be here illegally?

Well, to begin with, it gives them the legal option when they do mass stops, like looking for drunk drivers on the road, or making sure people are complying with traffic laws (insurance, seat belts, etc).
Once they have been arrested and sent before a judge, the judge can only do so much. There was a discussion on one of the radio stations when this first passed, about how one judge was ordering them back to their legal country of residence and out of the state, so they are not violating any more state laws. So they could be driven back to the border, but unless the state is allowed to sue the feds for something like an unfunded mandate, there isn't much they can do.