The “reasonable suspicion” requirement is still there (see yesterday’s post for more on that) but this version specifies that there have to be independent grounds for suspicion beyond race. Also new is the list of documents that someone can present to create a presumption that they’re here legally, although it’s unclear to me how that’ll work in practice. If you’re pulled over on suspicion of being illegal for whatever reason and you produce an Arizona driver’s license, does the cop then let you go (probably, in most cases) or does he get to hold you while he tries to come up with further evidence to overcome the presumption? Another open question — and this is the key for civil libertarians — is whether “reasonable suspicion” can be formed simply by virtue of the fact that the suspect isn’t carrying one of the ID types listed. If so, then cops could theoretically start pulling people aside on the sidewalk and hauling them in if they don’t produce their “papers.” I don’t read this section that way; it sounds like “reasonable suspicion” must exist before any “reasonable attempt” to verify the suspect’s immigration status is made. But if I’m misreading it and “reasonable suspicion” is satisfied if the suspect is guilty of nothing more than being Latino and forgetting his driver’s license at home, then they’re going to have a Category Five legal and political clusterfark on their hands when the first American citizens of Hispanic descent are mistakenly arrested.
I'm glad that local driver licenses are at least accepted. But aren't there some states that will issue DL's to illegal aliens? I wonder if they will keep a list of which state DL's are OK and which are not.
i'm pretty sure in any state you can get a driver's license as long as you pass the written and driving test. they do not check your citizenship status when you apply for a driver's license because it's not the state's responsibility to check whether or not you are legally in the country. and DMVs in the US allow a translator to help the test taker read the questions as long as the translator doesn't actually help them take the test. i have family members who were all able to drive many years before they became citizens of the country, although they were all here legally from the start. but the point is, they were never challenged to prove they were legal aliens or not, they just had to pay the fees and take the tests.
"The RIAA has shown a certain disregard for the creative people of the industry in their eagerness to protect the revenues of the record companies." -- Frank Zappa
"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman
"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman
The Arizona immigration bill thingy
- 26/04/2010 12:57:20 AM
2220 Views
what do you expect from one of the last states to accept MLK day?
- 26/04/2010 01:19:03 AM
1300 Views
Yes, well, at least you are in the 27% of Americans that have a Passport.
- 26/04/2010 01:48:44 AM
1105 Views
It will only take a few times getting their asses sued off for detaining U.S. citizens against...
- 26/04/2010 05:54:49 AM
1090 Views
Yeah, I can't wait 'til a Latino state representative is arrested for looking illegal.
- 26/04/2010 07:26:13 AM
988 Views
or even better, a celebrity. I choose Antonia Banderas (when he has the funky beard hobo look) *NM*
- 26/04/2010 12:32:18 PM
550 Views
Looks like no one knows how bad it is along the border
- 26/04/2010 06:19:24 AM
993 Views
Oh please! The immigration and drug problems don't justify bad legislation.
- 26/04/2010 07:02:54 AM
1012 Views
Some thoughts
- 26/04/2010 06:42:02 AM
1117 Views
It's not just outrageous; it's plain stupid. The latter is almost as offensive as the former.
- 26/04/2010 07:30:30 AM
1012 Views
Sounds more like a bill to convince people they are doing something than to do something
- 26/04/2010 12:43:19 PM
986 Views
What I find interesting about all this...
- 26/04/2010 01:06:08 PM
1094 Views
It is interesting to see how it contrasts with your take on it, being from a country with them
- 26/04/2010 02:11:18 PM
1053 Views
Perhaps I'm wrong, but...
- 26/04/2010 01:49:13 PM
977 Views
I don't know about the green cards
- 26/04/2010 03:05:49 PM
1006 Views
That last point doesn't really make any sense.
- 26/04/2010 03:20:19 PM
1003 Views
my point was that the punishments for the similar crimes are so different.
- 26/04/2010 04:23:08 PM
948 Views
The law will be overturned but it may help to get the federal government off their collective ass
- 26/04/2010 02:59:11 PM
1061 Views
The law will most likely not be overturned.
- 26/04/2010 03:13:24 PM
990 Views
The law will be overturned but it may help to get the federal government off their collective ass *NM*
- 26/04/2010 03:20:45 PM
515 Views
The law will be overturned but it may help to get the federal government off their collective ass *NM*
- 26/04/2010 06:53:32 PM
442 Views
The law will be overturned but it may help to get the federal government off their collective ass *NM*
- 26/04/2010 08:33:04 PM
478 Views
The federal government will be collective ass but it may help to get the law off their overturned *NM*
- 27/04/2010 05:33:42 AM
469 Views
Their collective ass will be overturned but it may help to get the law off the federal government *NM*
- 27/04/2010 09:18:02 AM
445 Views
It's interesting how this sort of mirrors the Belgian issues.
- 26/04/2010 03:34:59 PM
982 Views
the "overrunning" of culture and language is exaggerated, imo
- 26/04/2010 04:34:56 PM
1004 Views
I think the primary problem - in both cases - is language, yes.
- 26/04/2010 04:54:55 PM
1023 Views
*shrug* I don't know. I just think that people are way too uptight about the issue
- 26/04/2010 05:02:30 PM
949 Views
the differences really are not that minor
- 28/04/2010 06:49:33 PM
1032 Views
hmm, see
- 28/04/2010 07:10:42 PM
904 Views
I am from San Antonio I have always been able to buy burritos from my neighbors
- 28/04/2010 08:28:45 PM
924 Views
When I say relatively minor, it's because I'm thinking of those *other* assimilation problems here
- 28/04/2010 10:30:04 PM
1214 Views
It should rattle anyone who lives in a democracy and who likes their way of life
- 28/04/2010 11:15:18 PM
1070 Views
More power to the government! and We took that land fair and square! *NM*
- 26/04/2010 04:43:15 PM
418 Views
I'm going to take a common sense approach on this for a minute
- 26/04/2010 09:05:21 PM
1216 Views
Re: I'm going to take a common sense approach on this for a minute
- 26/04/2010 11:48:14 PM
1344 Views
you are correct
- 29/04/2010 06:39:29 AM
1365 Views
Will the will of the people of Arizona be respected?
- 27/04/2010 12:12:46 AM
1108 Views
That's funny...
- 27/04/2010 01:57:14 AM
1305 Views
echo chamber much?
- 27/04/2010 04:14:53 PM
1061 Views
there's also 53% of us who think this will lead to violating civil rights.
- 27/04/2010 05:19:29 PM
917 Views
Re: there's also 53% of us who think this will lead to violating civil rights.
- 28/04/2010 12:40:42 PM
975 Views
Also, the potential economic consequences of the law could be severe for Arizona.
- 27/04/2010 01:03:54 AM
1029 Views
activist group liberal group claims it will cost money, what a shocker *NM*
- 27/04/2010 04:23:11 PM
424 Views
It will cost money
- 27/04/2010 09:16:31 PM
988 Views
but all of that ignores the long term savings
- 28/04/2010 03:24:50 PM
929 Views
it's less a matter of american tourism
- 28/04/2010 04:06:50 PM
983 Views
if they law is enforced it will decrease the number of illegals who go to Arizona
- 28/04/2010 06:35:26 PM
1040 Views
I don't see any real long term savings coming from this.
- 28/04/2010 10:17:26 PM
1041 Views
70% of the people in Arizona support the new law and 30% of the state is Hispanic
- 28/04/2010 10:51:08 PM
1182 Views
real science?
- 28/04/2010 11:06:13 PM
967 Views
I linked to it further up the thread and you responded
- 28/04/2010 11:19:51 PM
951 Views

*NM*