By Phyllis Schlafly
A short, ten-page law passed by the Arizona State Legislature kicked up a national firestorm and dominated the national news for weeks. Yet, most of the public officials who criticize it admitted that they have not read it, such as Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Signed into law by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, this law requires local police to ask about the immigration status of any person they reasonably believe could be in the country illegally.
Liberals have filed several lawsuits to block the law. President Obama and congressional Democrats plan to pass a federal law to override it. There are political boycotts against the state. In one of the most unfair liberal reactions, the Superintendent of Highland Park, Illinois High School canceled its girls’ basketball team’s trip to Arizona to participate in a tournament. The reason given was: going to Arizona “would not be aligned with our beliefs and values.” This was a terrible disappointment to the girls because this was the first national basketball tournament they had ever qualified for.
Illegal aliens from Mexico have brought in a huge flow of illegal drugs and burdened Arizona taxpayers with $3 billion in costs for incarceration, education, and healthcare. The new law will protect taxpayers from these costs by deterring and deporting the illegals.
Arizonans are not backing down, and Americans all over the country are backing them up. Public opinion polls report that more than 80% of Americans support the Arizona law and that a majority of Americans want their own states to pass immigration laws like Arizona’s by a margin of 52% to 31%. Persons legally in the country will not be harmed by this new law, because they need only produce a driver’s license or other basic paperwork.
Contributing Editor Phyllis Schlafly is the founder and president of Eagle Forum.
Used with permission.
