Governor Brewer,
As a concerned member of the Arizona community and a hesitant voter in the upcoming elections, I would like to discuss the issue of immigration policy. I truly enjoy the freedoms afforded to me because I am a citizen of this great country and I feel that those freedoms should be available to others as well. That is why I pose this question: Should Arizona hinder or help immigration policy in the United States?
Although your SB 1070 bill has been scrutinized by the Supreme Court, the President, and high ranking officials across the country there is no denying that it has forced the issue of immigration back on the systemic agenda. However, the provisions of your bill seem to only hurt the progress of this great nation instead of advancing it. And it blatantly goes against the current efforts of Senators Menendez and Leahy's Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2010, which seeks a more equitable solution to immigration than Arizona's propagation of racial profiling. While the bill proposed by Senators Menendez and Leahy is not perfect, it offers a different perspective on the issue.
One thing that this country was founded on is diversity. So why should we not look at a diverse set of policies to address the issue of immigration. I propose that we look to our European neighbors to inform our ideas on immigration reform and perhaps, learn a thing or two. Arizona could lead the way towards an innovative and effective immigration policy that sets the standard for other governments in the years to come.
One nation in particular is the United Kingdom. They have long dealt with immigration in a fair and just manner. Strict policies have reflected changes in their labor demands, population characteristics, and the increasing global competition for skilled workers (Adolino and Blake). The government remains aligned with the public's opinion and this relationship has lead them to a more peaceable solution. If the US acted more as a cohesive decision-making body rather than pursuing bills that will simply win them seats in the legislature we could find a policy that the majority of people can agree on.
We can also look to the European Union as an example of ineffective policy when decision-making is fragmented and no clear objective is administered. The EU suffers from member states clinging to their sovereignty on immigration reform in spite of existing national laws being weak (Adolino and Blake). The importance of decision-makers working together is apparent when we look at the potential impact of a unified force on this issue.
I hope that you will consider what Arizona can learn from nations that have been successful and take a lesson from those that have not. Let us work together to improve this country and enrich its people.
Sincerely,
Lindsey Stickles
Lindsey,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post! I agree that Arizona should look to other counties for examples of successful immigration policies, and should then lobby the federal government for enactment of those policies. As I mentioned in my post, the Supremacy Clause coupled with Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution largely takes immigration policy out of the hands of Arizona and places it with the federal government. Any law that Arizona passes is going to run into problems with this, so the best course of action may be for Arizona to use its status as an immigration state to lobby the fed for changes in policy.
I also agree that the UK’s immigration policies (and rhetoric) have been more fair, but they’re also starting to tighten up enforcement and restrict total immigration rates(A&B 139). They’re rates have been exploding in recent years(A&B 152), so I guess more restrictive policies were bound to happen. One big difference (and you hit on this) is that the speech in the UK about the issue is centered on “fair” and not “closet racism” like it is here. And you’re right about the political aspect of it; a few parties in the UK have tried to take advantage of growing concern with immigration by raising the rhetoric to borderline bigoted heights, but they’ve been largely put in their place by the established parties. Political parties in Arizona could definitely learn from this. In all, I agree that the issue should be used less for political gain, and we should concentrate on actually doing something constructive about it.
Adolino, J. R., & Blake, C. H. (2007). Comparing Public Policies: Issues and Choices in Industrialized Countries, 2nd Edition (2 ed.). Washington, D.C: CQ Press