The anti-immigrant, enforcement-only bill that passed in Arizona is an indictment of Congress’s failure to reform our immigration laws. Without a federal solution, local lawmakers have thrown away common sense in favor of a law that is likely unconstitutional and will be targeted for costly litigation, partly because its application is based on racial profiling.
Fueling the panic in Arizona are the recent tragic murder of a rancher on the border, the failure of the Bush administration’s Arizona border security program, and a heated Republican primary contest that has Republican Sen. John McCain battling for his political life by shifting to the far right and trying out harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric.
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