TAKE ACTION: Urgent plea for help in Arizona

An urgent plea for help in Arizona: Stop Criminalization of Our Communities

Dear Friends,

We write with an urgent plea for your assistance. This week, the Arizona legislature passed the most anti-immigrant legislation the United States has seen in a generation. We are calling on all who have fought for immigration reform to assist our brothers and sisters in Arizona to turn the tide on hatred, bigotry, and scapegoating that threatens our community. In 2006, we marched by the millions in cities across the country to block a hateful bill that would criminalize immigrants and their supporters. The bill currently before the Governor in Arizona would make the nightmare of Sensenbrenner a reality. Indeed, the bill’s stated intent is to terrorize immigrant families into leaving the state. We must do everything we can to prevent this from happening.

TAKE ACTION! Click here!

Arizona’s SB 1070 would force police officers to arrest and detain people based on a "reasonable suspicion" that they are undocumented. It’s not surprising that news of this bill has shocked the nation. There is no such thing as looking American or undocumented, and mandating police officers to racially profile sets this country back to a shameful time in its history where racial segregation was the law of the land. The state of Arizona has become home to experimental laws that use immigration as an excuse to criminalize communities of color. We have all seen the devastation caused by Joe Arpaio and others like him. The result of this struggle in Arizona will set the tone for the national debate. We must prevail. The bill is an assault on this nation’s values. Everyone, including the President himself, acknowledges that this is a nation of immigrants: Undocumented immigrants are Americans in Waiting.

We must wait no longer. Please take action by going to www.AltoArizona.com to sign a petition urging the bill’s veto. When you sign the list, you will send a message that the nation is unifying in its condemnation of Arizona’s dangerous legislation. You will continue to receive updates on where we will take things, should the bill be signed into law. Please forward this email to 5 people asking them to do the same. We have all fought hard to earn equality for our friends, colleagues, neighbors, and family who currently live and work in the U.S regardless of immigration status. The time is now for full legalization, not criminalization enacted by racist local demagogues. The time is now for the country to come together to urge the federal government to stop immigrant bashing.

Together We Will, Turn the Tide.

Sincerely,

Pablo Alvarado
Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
National Day Labor Organizing Network (NDLON)
675 Parkview Street, Suite B, Los Angeles, CA 90057. – ph (213) 380-2783 fx (213) 380-2787 – email: info@altoarizona.com

http://www.altoarizona.com/index.html

AZ SB1070:

• Arizona Senate Bill 1070 PDF

Press Releases:

• NDLON’s Response to ICE Enforcement Operations, April 15, 2010 PDF
• NDLON responds to the passage of Arizona SB1070, Tuesday, April 13, 2010 PDF
• DHS Issues Report on Its Disgraced 287(g) Program, NDLON responds: "It Should Be ENDED not MENDED," Friday, April 2, 2010 PDF
• " MALDEF Questions Timing and Consequences of Federal Raids Today in Arizona," April 14, 2010, MALDEF News Release

News Articles:

• " Phoenix shuttle service raided by federal agents," April 15, 2010, The Arizona Republic
• " Lawmakers channel ‘Lord of the Flies’,"April 15, 2010, The Arizona Republic
• " Arizona’s immigration strategy: Make life tough," April 14, 2010, LA Times
• " Arizona Clears Strict Immigration Bill," Aprill 14, 2010, The Wall Street Journal
• " Arizona goes it alone with tough immigration laws," April 14, 2010, The Guardian UK
• " House OKs Sweeping Immigration Bill," April 13, 2010, MyFOXPhoenix.com
• " Arizona passes strict illegal immigration act," April 13, 2010, LA Times

¡Alto Arizona! is a response to Arizona Senate Bill 1070.

We are calling on Arizona governor Jan Brewer to veto SB 1070.

Arizona is on the verge of enacting the most anti-immigrant legislation the country has seen in a generation. This is a bill which apparently mandates racial profiling. SB 1070 is quite literally intended to terrorize immigrant families.

We are hopeful Governor Brewer will consult with her legal counsel, issue a veto, and spare Arizona the expense of defending an unconstitutional, unwise, and odious bill in federal courts. But we will not rely solely on hope. We urge all opponents of this bill to TAKE ACTION and call, fax, and/or send an email to AZ Governor Brewer to let her know that we do not stand by a bill that threatens to terrorize, criminalize and profile non-white residents of Arizona.

Please forward the information on to your friends, family, co-workers and networks to speak up against SB 1070.

• Use your online networks, like email, IM, Blogs, Facebook and Twitter to spread the word online.
• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspapers about your opinion of Immigration Reform and SB 1070.
• Take action online and offline. Become an active participant in the movement!

¡Alto Arizona — Call to Action!

"Alto Arizona!" is a targeted call to action that is asking opponents of AZ SB 1070 to contact Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) to ask her to veto this bill!

The passage of SB 1070 by the House of Representatives in Arizona will have chilling repercussions if signed into law by Governor Brewer. The bill dramatically expands police powers to stop, question and detain individuals for not having proper identification, a move that will instigate racial profiling and fear and driving a wedge between groups.

Sign the petition and send to Gov. Brewer, at: http://www.altoarizona.com/index.html

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