Academic

Nuestras Voces Calls For Arizona Boycott

By Kim Krawiec

The blawgers over at Nuestras Voces Latinas (for those unfamiliar, Nuestras Voces is a law blog dedicated to perspectives on Latin-American communities and their issues) are calling for a boycott of Arizona.  See, for example, this post:

Today, I call on everyone to BOYCOTT Arizona. I will not spend a dime in Arizona until their new anti-Latino law is repealed.

Let me explain why. It is very simple. I read the new anti-Latino law that GOP Governor Jan Brewer just signed. As an attorney and law professor who graduated law school in 1986, I would never feel free from the possibility of extended incarceration in Arizona without keeping my passport on my person 24/7. I also have a family. I would never permit anyone of my family members to go to Arizona because without their passport they cannot be assured they will not be detained.

They can keep you incarcerated until they hear back from the U.S. government. Under the Act, whenever a law enforcement officer has "reasonable suspicion" that the person "is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person. The person's immigration status shall be verified with the federal government pursuant to 8 United States code section 1373(c)." No state official may interfere with this procedure. So, as I read the Act you either file a writ of Habeas Corpus in federal court or wait for the federal government to verify your status.

I would just as soon go visit Europe, where I can forget my passport in the hotel without facing extended detention.

 I suspect that there will be yet more news coming up over at Nuestras Voces. 

Full post as published by The Faculty Lounge on April 26, 2010 (boomark / email).