Immigration Bill Stirs Resistance in Community

Published April 30, 2010 at 12:29 p.m.

Written by Nathan Mitchell/El Independiente

• NATHAN MITCHELL
• Isabel Garcia, the leader of Derechos Humanos, protests against SB 1070 at Raul Grijalva's headquarters.

With the global spotlight on Arizona's new immigration law, South Tucson has begun preparations to enforce the aggressive and contentious "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act," better known as SB 1070.

The new legislation, which Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law April 23, makes it a crime to be in Arizona without proper immigration documentation and requires police to check for legal status. Without legal documentation, a person can be fined up to $2,500, jailed and deported. The law also makes it illegal to knowingly transport illegal migrants or hire day laborers off the street.

The South Tucson Police Department has begun discussing the training necessary to properly enforce the law.

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