Saturday, April 24th at 9 AM
452 S. Stone Ave
Tucson, AZ 85701

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By Jaime Farrant

Border Action Network Policy Director

Border Action Network continued this month its work against SB1070.  Thanks to our member and partner efforts, the House version of this bill, HB2632, was stopped in its tracks. We requested over 1 month ago a meeting with Governor Brewer to state our concerns with the bill and ask her to veto it if it ever gets to her desk.  After going to her office several times this past month, she has refused to see us. However, we have delivered over 20,000 postcards to her office asking her to veto this bill, as it is bad for Arizona and bad for our communities. 

Meanwhile, in his efforts to see this costly, anti-immigrant and anti-business bill pass, Senator Russell Pearce filed an amendment to SB1070 this month. The most significant changes brought by the amendment are that the name of the crime of “Trespassing” proposed under SB1070 was changed to “Willful failure to complete or carry an alien registration document”.  The bill also tries, albeit unsuccessfully, to address the concerns argued by BAN and others that this bill will lead to illegal racial profiling practices and further mistrust of the police.   The House Committee on Military Affairs and Public Safety (“MAPS”) held a hearing on the amendment on March 31.   Many persons, including Jennifer Allen, spoke on behalf and against the bill.  Jennifer highlighted that this bill will not do anything to improve our country’s broken immigration system, that it will be incredibly costly for our already stretched state budget due to the training programs that will have to be implemented and because of the flurry of lawsuits Arizona will face if this bill passes, and that it will force all persons in Arizona to carry an ID at all times or else face arrest.  Representative Kyrsten Sinema expressed great concern with this bill and the ill consequences it could bring to the state.  However, the Committee sadly voted 5-2 in approval of the bill.  The new SB1070 will now go to the House’s Committee of the Whole, where it could be further amended and then to the House for a final vote.  If it passes there, it will go to Governor Brewer’s desk for a final decision.

That being said, we are not giving up hope.  We still believe that this bill might not pass, and will continue to work with our members and partners to ensure that this is the case.   We have already seen results.  Last month, we were assured that there was no way this bill could be stopped, as it was a “done deal”. However, our weekly mobilizations and rallies have slowed the bill’s momentum. Many persons, as they should, are now rising up and voicing their concerns about the bill. Given that the Legislative session is scheduled to end in April, we have only one more month to go in this fight.  We need your help to make our voice louder. Join us at the Legislature this month. Talk to your friends and family about why SB1070 is bad for Arizona.  Finally, please join us as we work with others to ensure that our government passes the comprehensive immigration reform that is so desperately needed, so that our families can be united and can aspire to the better life we all want for our children and ourselves. 

For the past few weeks, Border Action Network and other groups in Arizona have gone to Governor Brewer's office in Phoenix to demand her VETO of Russell Pearce's SB1070/HB2362 when it hits her desk.  Hundreds of people from across the state have turned out for these events, and we have delivered over 20,500 postcards to Governor Brewer's staff.  Click on the albums below to view photos from our most recent trips to Phoenix.

Week of Action #3 - View Album

Week of Action #4 - View Album

Last Wednesday, March 31st, we returned to the Arizona Legislature to pack a House Committee Meeting against Russell Pearce's SB1070.  More than 100 of you came out to stand in opposition to this bill, and we need your support again this week as we return to Governor Brewer's office with thousands of more postcards!

Join us at the Governor's Office in Phoenix this Wednesday to deliver more postcards and demand her VETO of SB1070!

Why:

Russell Pearce’s SB1070 (and similar House version HB2632) is the most far-reaching anti-immigrant bill ever introduced in the Arizona Legislature. The bill rolls together seven bills that Pearce has tried to push through the last few years but failed. This year, because of the governor and make-up of the legislature, this bill is likely to become law very quickly. Among other things, the bill:

o    Creates an additional state crime of trespassing and gives law enforcement the authority to arrest someone if they have probable cause to believe they are  undocumented;
o    Ties the hands of local law enforcement by forcing them to prioritize immigration enforcement over other public safety responsibilities;
o    Prohibits drivers from attempting to hire day laborers for the purpose of employment;
o    Criminalizes transporting, harboring or shielding anyone if the person knows or disregards the fact that they are undocumented;

To read the full text of the bill http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=1070&image.x=0&image.y=0

Don’t let the legislature and the Governor off the hook! Enough is enough!

Let them know they are driving Arizona down a disastrous path that will 1) cost the state millions, 2) chase away businesses, 3) penalize people looking for work, and 4) make our communities less safe and policing less effective.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Wednesday, April 7th -- Join us at the Governor's office to demand a VETO against SB1070! Her office is at 1700 W. Washington St. in Phoenix.

For Southern Arizonans: A bus will be leaving from 842 S. 6th Avenue, Tucson at 9:30 AM sharp. Reserve your seat today by calling 520.623.4944. They will go quick. Plan on returning by 3 pm and bring your own lunch.

2. Download the postcard at www.borderaction.org and get your friends and family to sign hundreds of them. Bring them on Wednesday or drop them off at Border Action Network’s office at 842 S. 6th Avenue, Tucson.

3. Sign up to Receive E-Alerts from www.borderaction.org to bombard the legislature and Governor with emails, phone calls and faxes. We'll be sending out an alert on Tuesday, March 30th to bombard the House MAPS Committee against this bill - don't miss out!

If you don’t have access to a computer or Internet, you can call officials offices directly to tell them this message: Vote NO on SB1070. The bill would drive Arizona down a disastrous path that will 1) cost the state millions, 2) chase away businesses, 3) penalize people looking for work, and 4) make our communities less safe and policing less effective.