July 28, 2010 - LezGetReal.com
by Paula Brooks
Over a dozen Louisville social justice organizations will join cities across the nation to protest the unjust Arizona immigration law, SB1070, set to go into effect on Thursday, July 29, 2010. This event is in solidarity with people facing anti-immigrant attacks in Arizona, and is intended to continue building a community here in Kentucky to say “No to Hate” directed at anyone.
The “People Not Profiles: Kentucky Says NO to Arizona’s Unconstitutional Law” campaign will launch Thursday, July 29th, 11:30 a.m. at the corner of Sixth and Broadway (location of the old Federal Building housing the immigration offices). The program will include presentations of support by a wide range of groups and several speakers representing the diversity of this coalition.
Participants will leave the federal building at Noon and march to 4th Street Live! to approach people in a “Show Me Your Papers, Please” street theatre action in order to engage them in conversation about the Arizona law. The action’s focus will be on approaching those who are least likely to think that the law would affect them. Costumed participants will stop unsuspecting individuals walking through 4th Street Live! and ask them to, “Show me your papers, please.”
The Arizona law, SB1070, allows law enforcement to stop a person if they suspect that person is an undocumented immigrant, and allows a law enforcement officer, without a warrant, to arrest a person if the officer believes that the person has committed any public offense that makes the person removable from the U.S.
SB1070 allows individual immigration status information to be used to determine eligibility for any public benefit, service or license provided by any federal, state, local or other political subdivision of the state.
The law also requires the courts to collect and remit civil penalties to the Department of Public Safety which must establish a special subaccount for the monies in the account established for the Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission (GIITEM) appropriation.
According to the American Immigration Council’s Immigration Policy Center, once SB1070 goes into effect, law enforcement agencies will spend between $775,880 and $1,163,820 in processing expenses; jail costs will expand between $21,195,600 and $96,086,720; attorney and staff fees will increase between $810,067 and $1,620,134; and additional detention facilities will have to be built at unknown costs.