The immigration debate has been a volatile topic in the country for the last few years. No administration has been able to come to a viable solution to date. This conversation has taken so many slippery turns it’s hard to know what the right solution is. But one thing is for certain, it has brought out the ugly side in a lot of people. Most notably the Arizona State Government.

If you haven’t heard by now, the Arizona State Legislature took it upon themselves to pass their OWN immigration bill. The Arizona Immigration Law SB1070 was passed last week and people are pissed. The cliff notes version is the bill would make it a CRIME to be present in the state of Arizona without proof of residency.  In order to be considered “legal” one would need a driver’s license or state issued photo ID card. But the problem is, a lot of immigrants don’t have identification. They would need to have their passport and visas to show that they are here legally. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But, it opens the door to our old nemesis…racial profiling. It seems like every few years another ethnic groups gets to ride that ride.

Now, while I try to keep political opinion out of this publication, every now and then we need to go there. We can’t rectify things or understand where we are headed if we don’t have the conversations. Knowledge is power. I am of the belief that anyone who wants to be here should be able to do so legally. And that is regardless of where they’re from. Other countries have strict guidelines about non-residents, but the United States draws the most criticism about our “policies” because we don’t have any real enforcement.  If I go to France, I can only stay for a certain amount of time before I have to leave per their law. Beyond that, I am there illegally. It’s supposed to be the same here. What I can’t understand is why can’t we (and by we I mean the government) come up with a viable solution to immigration and residency? Now before the name calling begins, I already said I think that people who want to be here legally should be allowed to do so legally. People here illegally should not be granted the same privileges as citizens. I will not waiver on that stance. President Obama, we need some resolution.

This decision by Arizona makes things more sticky. Was it necessary to preserve the state? If you think about it, they took a stance. A volatile one, but a stance no doubt. They felt they had to step up because nobody else (federal government) was. But at what cost? In my opinion, we’re not living in the 1950′s, but we are far from a racial utopia. The fact that our President is Black is a double edged sword. On the one hand, it should show we’ve supposedly progressed as a country to move beyond race. On the other hand, it has blinded some of us to the fact that racism is still alive and well. Only now it’s more overt than covert. Have you read some of the blogs!? This Arizona Immigration Law SB1070 is a way in my opinion to legally support racial profiling. There has to be some middle ground.

Supporters of the law feel that it would reduce crime, open up jobs and discourage the number of people here illegally. OK I can see that. Opponents of the law feel that it will open up the possibility of officers over stepping their bounds in the name of supposedly upholding the law and profiling Mexicans.  I can definitely see that. I agree that we need a law, some law, but you had better be careful. If it is to apply to illegal immigrants, then it better apply to ALL illegal immigrants. That goes for anyone here from any country illegally and not just Mexico either. But somehow that point gets lost. Let me say it again in another way. Illegals immigrants are more than just Mexicans. They are from many different countries and they’re coming here every day. How about we focus on that fact and come up with some real immigration reform. I don’t know what’s going to become of this, but I hope that it doesn’t end up a hot mess like people are predicting it will be.

For more information about this law please visit the Arizona State Legislature website. Read the bill first before commenting.

So, what’s your take on this immigration law? What should the federal government do about it, about immigration period?  Comments are welcome but let’s keep it real and mature.