Arizona pariah or mainstream

Arizona: Pariah state or mainstream?
By Gebe Martinez

The main reason the public is polling in favor of the Arizona law is because they are frustrated with the lack of action on the issue from Congress and the White House, and they may not be fully aware of other solutions that would fix the broken immigration system without violating anyone's constitutional rights.

Before Arizona passed its draconian law that relies on racial profiling to be carried out, numerous national polls showed the public in favor of a comprehensive immigration reform plan that would target employers who do not follow the law, update the visa system to meet employment and family needs, require undocumented residents to pass rigorous tests and pay back taxes and earn citizenship, and secure the borders so that law enforcement officers can go after criminal drug dealers.

Polls that simply ask for support or rejection of a law similar to those already thrown out of federal courts inflame an already emotional debate rather than help frame a smart discussion. This is underscored by poll findings that also show a deep ethnic split, with 70 percent of Latinos opposing the Arizona law. No wonder police chiefs from across the country oppose Arizona's law.

The one glaring message from the Arizona debate is that Congress needs to act on immigration reform soon because the public has grown tired of waiting. Tomorrow the Center for American Progress will hear from Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, Mayor John DeStefano of New Haven, Conn., and Arlington, Va., County Board Member Walter Tejada, who will offer a range of view on how communities are dealing with or have managed and integrated the growing immigrant populations in their areas. There is a right way to deal with this issue, and Congress needs to lead the way.

Gebe Martinez is a Sr. writer and policy analyst, Center for American Progress.