Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke voiced her vehement opposition of the Arizona immigration enforcement law (SB 1070) that will be addressed in the Supreme Court: 

“The great civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’  The immigration enforcement law enacted in Arizona is indeed a threat to justice, not only locally but across our nation, and it would be a grave mistake if the Supreme Court did not move to strike down this law,” stated Rep. Clarke.

Law enforcement authorities are required “under reasonable suspicion” to determine the immigration status of anyone who they suspect are illegal immigrants.  The measure caused considerable controversy from its onset, and ultimately prompted the Obama Administration to take it to court.  The law, if struck down by the Supreme Court, could represent a watershed moment in the continuing fight for comprehensive immigration reform.

 “This law in Arizona is a step backwards and does not address our antiquated immigration system; an issue that must be resolved on the federal level.  It is the unfortunate response to the federal government’s lack of action on our nation’s obligation to the millions of families that have built this nation,” said Rep. Clarke.  

“Unfortunately, Arizona demonstrates why this issue can be counterproductive for our nation when handled at the state level.  Our national security is at stake; our moral standing in the world depends on it; and the American people, many of whom are first and second generation immigrants, have already demanded that we fix the system,” she continued.

“As a Brooklyn native, whose roots are firmly planted in my Jamaican heritage, and a Representative for one of the largest populations of first and second generation immigrants, I know firsthand the dire need for comprehensive immigration reform.  The truth of the matter is that this is not just a Hispanic issue and it is not just a border security issue, it is an American issue.  I urge Congress to take a fresh look at the antiquated policies and bureaucratic backlogs that continue to tear families apart and devastate our communities,” concluded Rep. Yvette Clarke.

###