14 cities and counties from around the country join to ask federal court to block AZ immigration law

[Ed Barrow]

Joined by cities and counties from around the nation, the County of Santa Clara, California filed an amicus curiae brief today in Arizona urging a federal district court to block enforcement of the State of Arizona's new anti-immigrant law. The brief was filed in Friendly House et al. v. Whiting et al., a case brought by labor, business, domestic violence, human services, social justice, and religious organizations, as well as a class of individuals who will be subject to harassment or arrest under the law, seeking to have the law invalidated. Santa Clara County and several other local governments joining its brief-the counties of Monterey and Los Angeles and the cities of Baltimore, Berkeley, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New Haven, Palo Alto, Portland (OR), Saint Paul, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle-filed the brief in support the plaintiffs' request for an injunction that would prevent the law from taking effect while the court considers its constitutionality.

"Arizona's law is a direct assault on people's civil rights and will increase the real fears of racial profiling in communities nationwide," said Santa Clara County Supervisor George Shirakawa. "We've worked hard in our communities to untangle local police and sheriffs from federal immigration enforcement because public safety depends on all residents knowing they can call local officials for help when they need it. Arizona's law tries to take over the federal government's job and force local police and sheriffs away from their number one priority: protecting our communities."

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"SB 1070 suggests, wrongly, that the enforcement of federal civil immigration law is the proper responsibility of local government officials, and that basic constitutional principles do not apply when those officials are investigating or enforcing immigration law," the local governments argue in their brief. "That message will be heard not just in Arizona, but in every state in the country, making immigrants-whether they are naturalized citizens, lawful permanent residents, visa holders, or undocumented individuals-distrustful of local government and law enforcement officials."

The local governments filing the brief provide essential services to local residents, including maintaining safe communities through the funding, operation, and oversight of local law enforcement agencies. They argue that Arizona's law "imposes vague and unworkable requirements" on local law enforcement officers. As a structural matter, they say, Arizona's law essentially requires officers to engage in racial profiling and other unconstitutional conduct, leading to serious repercussions for law enforcement relationships with people of color and long-term negative effects on the ability of local governments to protect their residents' safety.

As Santa Clara County Counsel Miguel Márquez explained, local governments across the country are concerned about what will happen if the Arizona law is allowed to take effect: "By filing a brief as a friend of the court, we offer an important perspective on how local governments both inside and outside of Arizona are harmed by a law like SB 1070, which breeds fear and mistrust of government in immigrant communities and communities of color all across the country," said Márquez. "The Arizona legislature's decision to make up its own immigration laws because it doesn't like the federal government's approach is completely inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution, and it hurts the ability of local governments all across the country to ensure public safety."



http://www.publicceo.com/index.php/local-governments/151-local-governments-publicceo-exclusive/1612-cities-and-counties-across-the-country-ask-federal-court-to-block-arizonas-anti-immigrant-law

[EFerrari]

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