Palin Says 'We're All Arizonans Now'

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May 15, 2010

Arizona State Governor Jan Brewer and Sarah Palin got together at a brief news conference today to defend the new Arizona law cracking down on illegal immigration. The law takes effect July 29 and requires police, when stopping someone from breaking another law, to enforcing federal law by asking a person about his or her immigration status if there's "reasonable suspicion" they are in the country illegally. Being in the country illegally would also become a state crime. 

Many liberals across the country have been verbally attacking Brewer and the law and calling for a boycott of all things Arizona. In fact, our incredibely mature and presidential President Obama made jokes about Arizona and the law. Apparently unaware of the federal law in which the Arizona law was built, he condemned it, thinking that it encouraged racial profiling.

Brewer says that profiling is illegal and won't be tolerated. "Our president apparently considers it a wonderful opportunity to divide people along racial lines for his personal political convenience," she said.

Brewer and Palin had other interesting things to say.  For one, they said that if President Obama had properly done his job and secured the border, there wouldn't be a need for this law, as the measure is Arizona's attempt to enforce immigration laws because the federal government won't.  
 
I don't really like the way that the defense was worded though. The point is that Federal law concerning illegal immigration exists, and it exists for good reason.  It exists because Congress, after discussion and hearings, decided that such a law was necessary. The problem is that it hasn't been enforced very well.  So, wouldn't the correct admonition to the Obama administration, as well as previous administrations, be that they didn't ensure their agencies enforced federal law?

At any rate, there were other good quotes from the event.  Palin said, "It's time for Americans across this great country to stand up and say, 'We're all Arizonans now' and in clear unison we say, 'Mr. President: Do your job. Secure our border.'"

She also said, concerning police checking identification and citizenship, "I think for most American people the reaction to this would be, 'Why haven't the police already been doing that?"'

Brewer said, "Our purpose today is to help the rest of the nation understand the crisis which confronts our state," and she cited the presence of human and drug smugglers.

The event launched a website - SecuretheBorder.org - that Brewer said was an effort to educate America about border security and discourage an economic boycott of the state.

The site, funded by Brewer's re-election campaign, shows pictures of Brewer and Palin and invites visitors to sign a petition opposing boycotts. It includes a list of politicians and organizations calling for the boycotts and asks visitors to call or e-mail to "let them know that you support Arizona."

The list of politicians and organizations calling for boycotts includes:

Major League Baseball Players Association
Michael Weiner, Executive Director
(212) 826-0808
feedback@mlbpa.org

Congressman Raul Grijalva (D- AZ)
(520) 622-6788

Congressman Jose Serrano (D-NY)
(718) 620-0084
Contact Form

San Francisco, CA
Mayor Gavin Newsom
(415) 554-6141
gavin.newsom@sfgov.org

St. Paul, MN
Mayor Christopher B. Coleman
(651) 266-8510
Contact the Mayor

Oakland, CA
Mayor Ronald V. Dellums
(510) 238-3141

Los Angeles, CA
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
(213) 978 - 0721
mayor@lacity.org

Sacramento, CA
Mayor Kevin Johnson
(916) 808-5300
Contact Mayor Johnson

San Diego, CA
Mayor Jerry Sanders
(619) 236-6330
JerrySanders@sandiego.gov

Boulder, CO
Mayor Susan Osborne
(303) 447-3280
osbornes@bouldercolorado.gov

City of Austin
Mayor Lee Leffingwell
(512) 974-2250
lee.leffingwell@ci.austin.tx.us

Boston, MA
Mayor Thomas M. Menino
(617) 635-4500
mayor@cityofboston.gov

El Paso, TX
Mayor John F. Cook
(915)541-4145
mayor@elpasotexas.gov

Denver Public Schools
(720) 423-3414
communications_office@dpsk12.org

The National Council of La Raza
(202) 785-1670
comments@nclr.org

Service Employees International Union
(800) 424-8592

National Urban League
Marc H. Morial, President and CEO
(212) 558-5300
Contact Us

American Immigration Lawyers Association
Crystal L. Williams, Esq., Executive Director
(202) 507-7600
executive@aila.org

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
(410) 554.0040
admin@apa1906.net

American Educational Research Association
(202) 238-3200
flevine@aera.net

Sociologists Without Borders
(919) 962-5603
jrblau@email.unc.edu

Asian American Justice Center
(202) 296-2300
knarasaki@advancingequality.org

Center for Community Change
(202) 339-9300
DBhargava@communitychange.org

United Food and Commercial Workers
(602) 254-0099

National Black Caucus of State Legislators
(202) 624-5457

National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators
(202) 434-8070



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