The AZ Senate voted in a party-line vote to create a new state crime of crossing into the U.S. illegally. The ballot referral #HCR2060 would invent a license for state law enforcement to racially profile people of color to enforce it.
“No sooner than we repealed the 1864 AZ abortion ban, the Republicans decided they needed revenge,” said AZ Senator Priya Sundareshan (D-LD18). Democrats plus two Republican state Senators joined in the vote on May 1, repealing the hideous ban on abortions.
In response, furious MAGA Republicans pushed their toxic ballot measure to attack immigrants, one of their favorite culture-war targets. By dumping #HCR2060 onto the Nov. 5 ballot, Republicans also avoid a veto by Governor Katie Hobbs.
The Arizona ACLU immediately condemned the proposal.
Even more cruel
“AZ Senate Republicans amended HCR2060 on May 22 and made it even more cruel,” she said. “They added language saying that DACA recipients, also known as Dreamers, can’t rely on that as an affirmative defense to the new crime they’re proposing, if the DACA program ever goes away.”
The AZ House will now consider HCR2060 on June 4. “We understand there will be no other changes made to address our concerns about the racial profiling this will unleash,” Sen. Sundareshan said.
“This is still a bad proposal akin to SB1070 [the ‘show me your papers’ law], which brought AZ considerable notoriety and business losses,” Sen. Sundareshan said.
“I’m proud that it was my questioning earlier this month that highlighted for everyone that DACA recipients were at risk with the language Republicans had added in. I pointed out that there is broad bipartisan consensus to protect Dreamers from being deported from the only country they’ve ever known,” Senator Sundareshan said.
AZ Sen. Priya Sundareshan (@priya4az) May 10, 2024
The ACLU of Arizona said, “HCR 2060 is an extreme, unconstitutional, and anti-immigrant ballot referral that would apply new state penalties to violations of federal immigration law.”
“HCR 2060 would pose serious threats to immigrants and citizens alike. The proposed law has no geographic limits for enforcement actions, age restrictions, or exemptions for sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, or places of worship,” the ACLU said.
Consequently, the ballot referral could be easily weaponized against communities of color, much like Arizona’s infamous “show me your papers” law, SB 1070,” said Noah Schramm, border policy strategist for the ACLU of Arizona. “This bill ignores key parts of federal law, stripping away basic safeguards that ensure people fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries have access to asylum. It opens the door to unlawful policing and invites racial profiling, threatening communities across the state.”
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Great, another Coinstitutionaly questionable BS bill that’s just meant for campaign meat for Republicans that will cost the Arizona taxpayer money to “defend”.
Responsible government my shiny white ass.
I once had a girl in Tijuana tell me I looked more Mexican than white, so this could work out great for me.
I could get a free, all expense paid trip to Mexico!
Maybe I’ll run into Ted Cruz while I’m there.