"No to SB 1070 in Arizona or Michigan!"
United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 600
The June 7, 2010 UAW Local 600 General Council meeting adopted this resolution. It was recorded in the Minutes of the meeting distributed at the August 2 General Council. The quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. is included within the resolution. Local 600 sent this resolution to the Governor and Legislature of Arizona, the White House, and the Michigan Legislature:
“RESOLUTION PROTESTING ARIZONA HOUSE BILL 1070 states: Whereas, Arizona HB 1070 compels law enforcement agencies to racially profile all non-caucasian ethnic backgrounds to detain, question and arrest people suspected of an unlawful presence in the United States of America.
‘He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetuate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.’ Martin Luther King, Jr.
ACCESS
The Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), one of the nation’s premier Arab American organizations, has seven locations and over 90 programs in Michigan, while also including nation-wide initiatives like the Arab American National Museum, the National Network of Arab American Communities and more. ACCESS was created to assist the Arab immigrant population adapt to life in America, 39 years ago. ACCESS continues to honor its Arab American heritage while serving as a non-profit model of excellence as a social service agency and is dedicated to the support of community building, actively focused on service to those in need within the broader community, to newly arrived immigrants, and as a strong advocate for cultural and social entrepreneurship, as well as the values of community service, healthy lifestyles, education, and philanthropy.
ACCESS is concerned about state-by-state patchwork measures to reform immigration policy, and believes immigration reform should be undertaken by the White House and Congress – on a federal level, not state. Proposed state legislation mirroring Arizona’s SB 1070 and copycat legislation in Michigan like SB 1388 would be many steps backwards in reforming our nation’s broken immigration system, not forwards. We need a comprehensive approach at fixing our complex immigration problems, and an approach that is sensitive to racial profiling – something the Arab American community is well aware of and still going through, after September 11, 2001.
APIA-Vote Michigan
Statement Regarding Michigan HB 6256/SB 1388
Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote – Michigan is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that serves the Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) community through civic participation, advocacy, and education. At 2.4% of Michigan’s population, our state’s approximate 239,000 APIAs are a small but fast-growing population while other populations are declining.
APIAVote-Michigan has joined with labor, faith, civil rights, business, and community leaders as a part of the Reform Immigration FOR America coalition, in support of comprehensive immigration reform.
Immigrant populations, like many Asian Pacific Islander Americans, come to this country to pursue the American Dream – and come because they believe in an America that stands for fairness, equality, opportunity, and freedom.
Now, House Bill 6256 and Senate Bill 1388 have been introduced in Michigan. These proposals run exactly counter to the promises of equal opportunity and freedom for all, essentially promoting racial profiling. APIAVote-Michigan stands against the inhumanity and incivility of these pieces of legislation.
In addition, the requirements of HB 6256 and SB 1388 would impose on law enforcement responsibilities that take them away from their primary role: to keep us safe. Instead of focusing taxpayer resources on real public safety concerns, police officers would be chasing around anyone who might appear to look like an undocumented immigrant.
The Arizona economy has been hard hit by a national boycott of the state after the passage of Senate Bill 1070. More than 30 conventions were cancelled. That has cost the state at least $100 million so far. What kind of economy do we want to see in Michigan?
Everyone agrees that the immigration system is broken, unfair, and in urgent need of reform. Ensuring that we have an immigration system that restores fairness, restores due process, reunifies families, and reduces visa backlogs is of the utmost importance. We have a broken immigration system and a real fix is needed.
Criminalization and anti-immigrant policies like Michigan House Bill 6256 and Senate Bill 1388 do not address the problem. Instead, steps need to be taken toward national comprehensive immigration reform. We need a real solution that truly addresses the problems in our immigration system.
For more information about APIAVote-Michigan, visit www.apiavotemi.org.
The Michigan Asian Pacific American Commission states
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 1388 obligates state and local law enforcement agencies and officers, upon a “lawful stop, detention, or arrest” to determine an individual’s immigration status where “reasonable suspicion” exists that he or she is an “alien” and is “unlawfully present in the United States”.
WHEREAS, it is unclear what constitutes “reasonable suspicion” that would give rise to believing that an individual is an “alien” and is “unlawfully present in the United States” to warrant further inquiry into his or her immigration status.
WHEREAS if enacted, the implementation of SB 1388 will result in mandating racial profiling by law enforcement officers. It will obligate police officers to visually determine if a person is an “alien” and is “unlawfully present in the United States”. Enactment of the law will lead to racial mistrust and harassment of both documented and undocumented individuals with adverse consequences to the APA community in the State of Michigan.
WHEREAS, our state is experiencing the highest unemployment rate in this nation, and a struggling economy. It is certainly not the time to introduce bills that are destructive to the sense of community in Michigan. Senate Bill 1388 is neither constructive nor does it encourage individuals and companies from across our nation and around the world to do business in our state. Such fear-based legislation will not improve the lives of the quarter of a million and growing APA community nor the lives of all residents of the State of Michigan.
WHEREAS enforcement of Senate Bill 1388, if enacted, would likely result in a violation of the 14th Amendment and Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution.
The Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission is opposed to any such proposed legislation like SB 1388 which engenders racial profiling, creating tiered-citizenship or racism of any kind, and stands firmly in support of the APA community and its members who may be targeted by enactment of bills like Senate Bill 1388.
BE IT RESOLVED
The Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission is opposed to Senate Bill 1388, also known as the “Immigration Law Enforcement Act.”
Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights (WICIR)
WICIR is adamently opposed to SB 1070 in all of it’s form and will work to defeat any copycat form that may be introduced to Michigan citizens. We will not support the legalization of racial profiling.
Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan (ROC-MI)
The Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan (ROC-Michigan) believes SB 1070-like legislation in Michigan would be bad for our communities, bad for business, bad for taxpayers and bad for law enforcement. ROC-Michigan says no to SB 1388
Washtenaw County Workers' Center (WCWC)
“The Washtenaw County Workers’ Center believes SB 1070-like legislation in Michigan would be bad for working people of all nationalities, bad for our communities, bad for business, and bad for law enforcement. We say no to SB 1388.”
The WCWC endorsed the following Ann Arbor resolution urging the repealing of SB 1070.
Ann Arbor City Council Resolution to Repeal SB 1070
A Resolution Urging Repeal of Arizona Senate Bill 1070 as amended by House Bill 2162, “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods” Act
Whereas, The City Council of the City of Ann Arbor hereby finds, determines and declares as follows:
- a) On April 23, 2010, the Arizona Governor signed Arizona Senate Bill 1070 as amended by House Bill 2162 (Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act), requiring all local law enforcement to investigate a person’s immigration status when there is a reasonable suspicion that the person is in the Country unlawfully, regardless of whether that person is suspected of a crime; and b) Arizona’s law permits the arrest of a person by local law enforcement, without a warrant, if there is suspicion that the person is not in the United States legally; and c) This law does not prohibit law enforcement officers from solely relying on factors such as race, ethnicity, national origin or language to determine who to investigate; and d) This law encourages racial profiling and may violate Fourteenth Amendment guarantees of due process and equal protection for U.S. citizens, legal residents and visitors who are detained for suspicion of being in the Country unlawfully; and e) This law may have a chilling effect on victims and witnesses, regardless of legal status, choosing to forego reporting crime or testifying to a crime to prevent immigration-related interrogation, discriminatory treatment and arrest; and f) Accordingly, this law may severely undermine law enforcement’s ability to effectively maintain public safety resulting in increased crime; and g) The stated purpose of this law attempts to usurp functions specifically and solely traditionally reserved for federal authorities. As a result, many legal scholars, including the Obama administration itself, have questioned the constitutionality of the law in that it may violate the U.S. Constitution, and undermines the exclusive power over immigration matters granted to Congress; and h) Undocumented persons, due to their immigration status, are often a more vulnerable segment of our community victimized by violent criminals, employers and landlords, finding themselves without recourse due to the threat of deportation; and i) United States Citizens, legal residents, visitors and undocumented persons alike may now be subject to racial profiling, harassment and discrimination in states such as Arizona and those that pass similar legislation while legal challenges are pending, comprehensive immigration reform is critical and should promptly be addressed by the U.S. President and Congress; and j) The City of Ann Arbor considers the safety of its residents an unconditional priority, and strives to protect the community from all criminals, irrespective of legal status; WHEREAS, Similar bills have been introduced in both the Michigan House and Senate, RESOLVED, That the City Council of the City of Ann Arbor opposes SB 1070 and calls upon the Arizona Legislature to repeal SB 1070; RESOLVED, That the City Council of the City of Ann Arbor does not support any similar legislation in the State of Michigan; RESOLVED, That the City Council of the City of Ann Arbor urges the President and the Congress of the United States to work on comprehensive immigration reform to fix our nation’s broken immigration system; and RESOLVED, That the City Clerk be directed to transmit copies of this resolution to the Governor of Michigan, and to each Senator and Representative from Ann Arbor in the State Michigan Legislature; and RESOLVED, That the City Clerk be directed to transmit copies of this resolution to the President and the Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to each Senator and Representative from Michigan in the Congress of the United States and to the Governor of the State of Arizona. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption by the City Council, and the Clerk of the Council shall attest to and certify the vote adopting this Resolution.
One Michigan
One Michigan is a youth led organization organizing and advocating for the immigrants’ rights. We are composed of undocumented youth and allies who have been brought up with American values such as equality, justice, and the right to education, and understand the need for an immigration reform.
We, as individuals and as an organization, openly oppose any piece of legislation that discriminates and targets immigrant communities based on racial profiling. Any legislation that racially profiles human beings fighting for a better future, transforms their home into a police state, and crudely discriminates because of the darker tone of someone’s skin is hateful, immoral, un-American, and simply inhumane.
The recent legislation passed in Arizona, SB 1070, has opened our eyes to the gravity of the situation. One Michigan refuses to stand by and do nothing, and we specially refuse to let such piece of legislation transform our home state into a place of fear, injustice, and racial discrimination. We believe that America has come a long way from a Revolution, to slavery, to the Civil Rights movement, only to be hindered by another inhumane obstacle, whose sole purpose is to discriminate and incriminate the tan darkness of someone’s skin.
SB 1070 is not an immigration reform, it is a way to legally hate and mistreat people of color. America does not need thousands of young brilliant minds living in fear, set back by circumstances they could not control. America needs an immigration reform founded on the core values immigrants to this vary nations established over 200 years ago, values consisting of education, justice, and fairness. American needs the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act will open the doors to future doctors, lawyers, professors, writers, scientists, nurses, architects, future leaders of tomorrow that want nothing more that to fulfill the true American DREAM.
SB 1070 may evoke fear among immigrants but the DREAM Act invokes hope, hope that one day students will wake up and not worry about someone thinking they “look illegal” on the way to their lowly job, but will instead drive proudly to their dream career. The DREAM Act is the immigration reform America needs. One Michigan will fight to see the DREAM Act pass this year. SB 1070 cannot win in Arizona and will not pass in Michigan. America’s future depends on it.
American Citizens for Justice, Inc./Asian American Center for Justice
American Citizens for Justice, Inc./Asian American Center for Justice joins with Reform Immigration for America (AIR) in opposing passage of SB 1070-like legislation. We are deeply concerned about potential state legislation that could promote racial profiling, as SB 1070 copycat legislation in Michigan may result in.
American Citizens for Justice, Inc. (ACJ) is a IRC 501(c)(3) civil rights organization
that is devoted to civil rights education and advocacy in the Asian Pacific American
community. ACJ was founded in 1983.