Activists Urge Supreme Court to Strike Down Arizona's Controversial Immigration Law
Thursday, April 26, 2012
(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Blowing whistles, singing songs of solidarity,
and waving signs that read “Do I look illegal
to you?” and “People are more
than their papers,” hundreds of immigrant
rights activists and members of the
faith and labor communities rallied in front of
the Supreme Court Wednesday as
Justices inside heard arguments over
Arizona’s controversial immigration
law. “Together,
we are united
across the nation in calling on the Supreme
Court to strike down Arizona’s
unconstitutional immigration law,” said CASA
de Maryland Executive Director
Gustavo Torres (below at right). “Yes,
Congress must act to fix our broken
immigration system. Yes, the President must act
to help stop the unnecessary
separation of our families, but the states must
not enact
immigration laws like SB1070 that terrorize
immigrant
communities and have impact of undermining our
constitution.” The law is part
of a movement intended to create a climate of
fear and force illegal immigrants
to “self-deport” but many argue that it
legitimizes racial profiling and
results in the criminalization of undocumented
families. “All people deserve
the right to live without fear,” said
Catherine (at
left, speaking), a
16-year-old student who came to America from
Columbia two years ago with her
family. “Families like mine are hard-working
and help to make this country a
better place. It’s not fair to be
discriminated against because of how you
look.” Similar laws are currently active or
being considered in states across
the nation, including Virginia. –
report/photos by Adam Wright