Staff Editorial

The issue: Senate Bill 1070 has sparked controversial debate concerning illegal immigration

Our stance: The bill does not provide a solution for illegal immigration in Arizona

Whether you believe the idea behind Senate Bill 1070, Arizona’s attempt at immigration reform, is right, it does not provide the necessary solution for the current immigration issue in our state.

The bill is tied up in legal courts and will likely be for years.

In the meantime, even if it was the best option the law does nothing for the people of Arizona and leaves the issue of illegal immigration without a viable solution.

We need something to solve the issue of illegal immigration now.

We also believe a law that holds onto the Jesuit values and teachings that define the Brophy community would benefit Arizona.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed SB1070 into law on April 23, but Federal Judge Susan Bolton struck many provisions on the bill on July 28, a day before the bill was scheduled to go into effect.

Now, the issue of illegal immigration goes unresolved while we wait for the legal waters to clear.

One of the provisions at the center of the debate around SB1070 requires local and state law enforcement to check the immigration status of suspects when there is “reasonable suspicion” that they are illegal immigrants.

One major issue The Roundup finds with the law is that there remains a strong possibility the implementation could lead to widespread discrimination against people who simply look foreign, especially people of Latino heritage.

The bill’s potential mistreatment of some groups of people tarnishes the idea that we are all family as children of God.

The bill does not condone discrimination and actually speaks out against it. But a significant amount of power will be placed in the hands of police officers, leaving the issue at the mercy of subjectivity.

Police officers are not infallible and without a strict protocol, they could inadvertently and even unintentionally discriminate against Hispanics.

Fr. Harry Olivier, S.J. put discrimination in the context of Jesuit teachings.

“You have to stop and think: who are these people?” Fr. Olivier said. “They are individuals. They are God’s creatures.”

Fr. Olivier also called to mind the reasoning behind illegal immigration.

“They are risking their lives to come across the border to find a better livelihood,” he said. “They are coming to get jobs or (to) send money back to their families.”

How can we say that we are acting for others when we prevent people from finding a better, more prosperous life for their families?

Granted, some illegal immigrants might be here for the wrong reasons. But we cannot lump all immigrants into one group based on the outlying criminals who come for nefarious purposes.

One immediate change needed is to make it easier to come to the United States to live and work legally.

We need to find a way to provide more opportunities for people to come here without breaking the law, such as a work program.

Right now it is just too lengthy and expensive a process for potential immigrants to undergo. They would rather risk the physical dangers of crossing the desert than wade through miles of red tape set up by the government.

Instead, we need a simpler, faster process for people to work legally in this country.

We need to remember that our nation was founded by immigrants and for immigrants.

America has always been and should continue to be a melting pot of all cultures.

There are only a few among us who, when tracing our heritage back to its roots, find that their ancestors did not immigrate to the United States from another country.

Considering this, it seems unfair that we are resisting a new wave of immigrants seeking the same thing our immigrant ancestors sought: a better life.

Staff editorial by Eric Villanueva ’11, Ian Beck ’12, Michael Mandeville ’11 and Rohan Andresen ’12

Staff editorials represent the view of The Roundup. Share your thoughts by e-mailing roundup@brophybroncos.org or leave comments online at roundup.brophyprep.org.

Related Links:

News:

SB1070 creates fear, tension in community – http://wp.me/pIfpv-Aa

Four months into law, debate over SB1070 legality lingers – http://wp.me/pIfpv-A6

Reports, claims vary on SB1070’s economic impact – http://wp.me/pIfpv-zV

Opinions:

SB1070 promotes bigoted rhetoric – http://wp.me/pIfpv-zz

SB1070 defends Arizona borders – http://wp.me/pIfpv-zw