According to a report by The China Press, after the Governor of Arizona signed a bill aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration last week, U.S. media reported that opponents of the bill might file a lawsuit against the Arizona state government for enacting legislation to combat illegal immigration. On the 28th, New York State Assemblymember Grace Meng, together with Puerto Rican and Hispanic assemblymembers, jointly denounced and criticized Arizona's anti-immigration law.
Grace Meng stated that she is very curious about how police will distinguish between legal residents and illegal immigrants, and how training will be provided to assist police in this identification process. She also expressed concern that after the passage of this bill, both she and her children could be mistaken for illegal immigrants. Meng jokingly remarked that if Martin Luther King Jr. knew that this bill used people's skin color or specific characteristics as the basis for determining illegal immigrant status, he would surely turn in his grave.
New York State Assemblymember Félix Ortiz, who is of Puerto Rican descent, also expressed his opposition to the bill and has written to President Obama, calling on the federal government to prioritize immigration reform this year.
Grace Meng further stated that Arizona's anti-immigration law would severely undermine the American concept of fairness and could weaken the trust between police and the public. Any immigrant could become a target for police questioning, imposing enormous mental pressure and burden on the immigrant community. The bill mandates that foreigners carry identification documents at all times, and failure to do so could lead to arrest.
It is understood that the Arizona anti-immigration law stipulates: illegal immigrants are prohibited from entering Arizona; police have the authority to question individuals suspected of being illegal immigrants and check whether they possess legal documents such as green cards, foreign passports, or state-issued driver's licenses; and police have the authority to arrest day laborers.
