¡Alto Arizona!

National Caucus of Native American State Legislatures passes resolution against ethnic studies ban

NEWS RELEASE

Arizona State Senate
1700 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007

Senator Albert Hale, D-2

June 29, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National Caucus of Native American State Legislatures passes resolution against ethnic studies ban

STATE CAPITOL, Phoenix –The National Caucus of Native American State Legislatures passed a resolution opposing HB 2281 – Arizona’s new law that prohibits certain ethnic studies in the state’s education system. The resolution, sponsored by Arizona State Senator Albert A. Hale, was adopted unanimously at the Caucus’ annual meeting in Washington, DC last week.

“For all children to be productive members of society, they must learn about all cultures that exist in this country. Learning about other cultures and groups of people teaches tolerance and widens perspectives,” Sen. Hale said. “It is important for Native American and non-Native students to learn not only about the history of the U.S. government, but also the history of tribes.”

Anti-#SB1070 '30 Days' Campaign Begins

Updated: Wednesday, 30 Jun 2010, 7:50 PM MDT
Published : Wednesday, 30 Jun 2010, 7:50 PM MDT

PHOENIX - Wednesday, SB 1070 protesters launched the "30 Days for Human Rights Campaign."

Events will take place every day to show opposition to the law until it goes into effect on July 29.

Several different organizations and groups are hosting the campaign, which leads up to what's being called the "National Day of Non-Compliance."

One of the organizers said the President's Thursday morning speech isn't going to be enough.

"We actually need Obama to talk to the people who are being affected and see what it's like for individuals," said Sandra Castro.

More information: www.altoarizona.com/thirtydays.html

(via Foxnews.com)

Judge to Hear Officers' Request to Block #Immigration Law (#sb1070)

Two Arizona officers requesting an injunction

Updated: Wednesday, 30 Jun 2010, 10:20 PM MDT
Published : Wednesday, 30 Jun 2010, 10:20 PM MDT

PHOENIX - SB 1070 is scheduled to take effect July 29, but now a judge will consider whether to block the new law before it takes effect in order to see how lawsuits play out.

A hearing is set for July 15 at the federal courthouse during which U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton will hear arguments on the injunction.

"It'll give us all an insight into what the judge is thinking about in this matter," says Attorney Richard Martinez, who represents Tucson Police Officer Martin Escobar.

Escobar, along with Phoenix Police Officer David Salgado, are both suing to stop the law. Attorneys are now trying to consolidate both cases into a joint lawsuit.

"Their job is to be serving and protecting, to have a close working relationship with all members of the community including those who are undocumented. This drives a wedge between them and segments of the community," says Martinez.

Lawyers will argue that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, and in the Phoenix officer's case, lawyers will argue he would face pressure to enforce 1070 and find himself in a dilemma.

"If he refuses to enforce the act, he can be disciplined by his employer or subjected to costly private enforcement actions…if he enforces the act, he can be subjected to costly civil actions," states the civil complaint.

On July 15, the judge will also hear a request on behalf of the state to throw out the lawsuit.

(via Foxnews.com)

Teacher Chides Girl, 12, for Wearing Mexico Shirt in School, Activist Says

By Ed Barnes

Published June 28, 2010 | FOXNews.com

When Coral Avilez went to school on June 11, the seventh-grader knew two things: She would get to watch Mexico play South Africa on TV that day, and she would get to wear the Mexico shirt she had bought while on vacation earlier in the year.

What the 12-year-old didn’t know was that the shirt would touch off an incident that would send her fleeing from class and spark an investigation into racial animosity.

The game was already on when Coral walked into performing arts class at Big Bear Middle School in Big Bear, Calif. As she sat and watched, her teacher saw her shirt emblazoned with the Mexican colors and, in front of the entire class, asked if she supported Mexico, according to Leroy Martinez, the vice president of the local League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).

According to Martinez, Coral thought she was being asked a soccer question, and answered yes.

“Then what are you doing in my country?” the teacher asked, according to Martinez.

The Colcom Foundation- Funding the Hate

June 27, 2010...3:59 pm

In examining the coverage of the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment in the US, it is readily apparent that the bulk of the majority of groups involved with the day-to-day workings of this movement are interrelated.

Most of these groups share personnel, support the work of each other and draw their funding and strategic direction from John Tanton.

A famous John Tanton quote:

John Tanton:

“I’ve come to the point of view that for European-American society and culture to persist requires a European-American majority, and a clear one at that.” – Dec. 10, 1993, letter to the late Garrett Hardin, a controversial ecology professor

In the course of noticing these patterns it is well known who Tanton is funding, but who funds John Tanton?

Who is Really Behind all the Anti-Latino #Immigrant Movement???

From C.I

Friends - Please take the time to read this entire document, and explore its related links. It is the single most important information you need, to understand and counter-attack what's behind the anti-Latino/anti-Immigrant movement:

It is extremely important that all the organizations and everybody in this country that are fighting against the hate-speech, anti-minorities, and the anti-immigrant/anti-Latino monster, to finally target the head of the snake.

We are never going to accomplish fairness until we get to the head of the snake. The xenophobic snake has always being there, it has managed to infiltrate every important branch of our society, including politics, education, the English Media and shamefully even the SPANISH MEDIA / Univision!

The xenophobic evil snake has manipulatively "conducted" "studies and research" that portrays minorities, specifically Latinos and Blacks as inferior sub-classes. In the last few years, the evil monster has concentrated on attacking, scapegoating and demonizing Hispanics and Latino-Immigrants.

The evil racist monster is John Tanton/FAIR, he has created a web of anti-immigrant organizations, but its HEAD IS The Federation for American Immigration Reform, whom cleverly goes by the initials of "FAIR". Its founder is John Tanton, MD http://www.fairus.org/site/PageNavigator/about/board_of_directors

IMMIGRATION LAW STRIKES NERVE IN DENVER #altoarizona #SB1070

By Laura C. Morel
Via Latino Reporter

For the thousands of immigrants residing in Colorado, Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070 hits close to home.

Colorado and Arizona are neighboring states, about one-third of the state’s population has roots in Latin America, and there are similar immigration laws already in effect in Colorado.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 34 percent of Colorado residents in 2008 were of Hispanic origin.

Alan Kaplan, a spokesman for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC), a Denver-based immigration group, called the law a “travesty.”

Ipalnemoani: That For What We Live For

By Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez

As we prepare to get arrested as a result of the passage of a new anti-ethnic studies law in Arizona, several attorneys explain to about 30-40 of us in Tucson’s state building the consequences of getting arrested. As such, the numbers are winnowed down to 15 due to legal reasons, parental authority, age, etc. Many of those making these decisions are middle and high school and college students.

All of us who remain on the 2nd floor have thoughts racing through our minds. As I think about why I will get arrested, all I can think of is the Nahuatl concept of Ipalnemoani: That for what we live for – or the Maya concept of Hunab Ku.

We can summons all the linguists and all the great philosophers of the world, but in the end, their translations will not suffice. It is meaning that I am looking for, not words. This is about who we are and about what makes us human. At this time, it boils down to one question: What in life is worth getting arrested for?

For those of us here, the right to our own narrative – the right to memory – is one of them.

Fifth Graders from PS98M in NYC performing 'Immigration Song - La Tierra de la Libertad'

scotlynn2224 | June 22, 2010 | 1:41

Fifth Graders from PS98M in NYC performing a song they wrote about Arizona's immigration law SB1070. This was a class of 10-11 year olds who just started the Little Kids Rock program 2 months ago. They call themselves "Treasure the Curious Mind" and the song is called "Immigration Song: La Tierra de la Libertad"

(via Youtube.com)

Nebraska Town Votes to Banish Undocumented #Immigrants

MONICA DAVEY, Published: June 21, 2010

CHICAGO — Residents of a small city in eastern Nebraska voted Monday to banish illegal immigrants from jobs and rental homes, defying an earlier decision by the city’s leaders and setting off what is all but certain to be a costly and closely watched legal challenge.

In Fremont , a meat-packing town of about 25,000 people, unofficial results from The Associated Press late Monday showed that 57 percent of voters approved a referendum barring landlords from renting to those in the country illegally, requiring renters to provide information to the police and to obtain city occupancy licenses, and obliging city businesses to use a federal database to check for illegal immigrants.

Durham passes ban over #Arizona #immigration law #sb1070

Durham, N.C. — Phoenix is more than 2,000 miles from Durham, but the Bull City took a stand Monday on Arizona's controversial new immigration law.

The law, which goes into effect next month, will require law enforcement officers in Arizona to ask anyone whom they detain or arrest about their immigration status if there is a reasonable suspicion that they are in the country illegally.

Nate Goetz, chairman of Durham's Human Relations Commission, asked the Durham City Council to ban travel to Arizona for city business until the law is repealed. The resolution passed 6-1 Monday evening.

"We are sending a message to Arizona that we are not going to tolerate their decision to enact this legislation," Goetz said.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio's crime sweeps have little effect, analysis shows

Analysis suggests few serious offenders caught since 2008

by JJ Hensley - Jun. 21, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Sheriff Joe Arpaio's announcement that he will mark the dawn of Arizona's new immigration law next month with a crime-suppression operation should catch nobody by surprise.

Arpaio has been one of the most vocal supporters of the law. And he has made headlines for more than two years with his controversial immigration sweeps, typically placing dozens of deputies in neighborhoods with large Hispanic populations and ordering them to stop anyone for any violation.

What might surprise people is this: Arpaio's agency is the only one in Arizona conducting such operations, and most law-enforcement observers say they would be surprised if other police and sheriff's departments model their policies after Arpaio's.

Though few law-enforcement officials will speak publicly about it, their records suggest an unwillingness to follow Arpaio's lead. No other Arizona law-enforcement agencies have taken the same initiative Arpaio has in launching immigration sweeps.

Part of the reason is because there is no clear data demonstrating the crime-fighting effectiveness of such policies. While it succeeds in locating illegal immigrants, its effectiveness in combating major crimes is questionable, and there are concerns that such sweeps draw resources away from activities that do combat major crimes.

D.C. Douglas, Former Geico Voice Actor, Fires Back At FreedomWorks (VIDEO)

D.C. Douglas may have lost his gig as a voice over announcer on Geico commercials, but he's found another use for his time and talent ... making a tongue-in-cheek PSA warning people, "don't drunk dial FreedomWorks."

Douglas, also known as Lance Baxter, made headlines when he left a nasty message for the conservative organization which is closely aligned with the Tea Party. The message and a subsequent call from FreedomWorks back to Douglas were leaked, and Geico promptly fired him.

"What I did may have been entertaining, but it was also impetuous and not well thought out," Douglas said in a statement released on Monday. "If I were to make that call today, I would use a more diaphram-supported voice and ask very different questions."

WATCH:

4409 -- Arrested over #Arizona's Real ID 'Papers Please' #SB1070 Bill

(via RP4409 — April 24, 2010 — http://www.Formula4409.com)

Call and Email them the link to this video to senators below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knv6nD...

Do NOT be fooled by the so their so called SB1070 Fact Sheet. It does not list all the details. You have to read the entire legislation.

Local police struggle with #immigration issues

Law enforcement officials say their job is complicated by the volatile immigration issue

June 20, 2010|By Antonio Olivo, Tribune reporter

As they rode through Lake County's immigrant neighborhoods serving arrest warrants, Sheriff's Deputy John Van Dien and three fellow officers were repeatedly confronted by a public relations problem nagging local law enforcement agencies nationwide.

They weren't hunting for illegal immigrants, but at nearly every stop, local residents seemed to think they were.

In Mundelein, neighbors watched the burly officers take a handcuffed Mexican immigrant away from his startled children in a scene that resembled thousands of family separations caused by immigration raids. But this was the case of a legal U.S. resident who had skipped court on drunken driving charges.

A few miles away, a Polish woman arrested for drug possession woefully admitted that her U.S. visa had expired, making her deportable and leaving the officers to wonder aloud about the fate of her three children.

And, near Diamond Lake, an elderly man tried to help the officers find a suspect sought for marijuana possession by noting, "There's a Mexican down at the end of the block."

A debate over how local law enforcement should deal with illegal immigration has heated up in the wake of a new Arizona law that allows police to check the status of people they stop if they suspect them of being illegal immigrants. In Lake County and other areas where immigrant communities have swelled, it is a question that street cops face every day.

Prince William chairman says Virginia should follow #Arizona on #immigration

Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart is calling on Virginia legislators to follow in Arizona's footsteps and pass a law to crack down on illegal immigration throughout the Commonwealth.

Dubbing it the "Virginia Rule of Law Campaign," Stewart said he will spend the rest of the year lobbying the General Assembly to pass legislation that enhances police officials' power to capture, detain and deport illegal aliens; outlaws illegal day laboring; and creates specific Virginia penalties for illegal immigrants.

"We need to bring the rule of law to all of Virginia," Stewart said. "As long as the federal government shows no interest in securing the border and no interest in internal enforcement to promote self-deportation, then states and localities will have to pick up the slack."

"Sun City" by Artists United Against Apartheid (#boycott)

Yes, our show was on way back before South Africa abolished Apartheid and freed Nelson Mandela.

(via backporchvideos Youtube.com)

Case deepens #immigration debate

Backers say Harvard student is poster child for Dream Act

By Maria Sacchetti, Globe Staff / June 20, 2010

CAMBRIDGE — The memory is a blurry snapshot in his mind. Eric Balderas was 4 years old, curled up under covers on a raft. He could see the sun poking through the sky, hear whispers above him, and feel the swell of the Rio Grande below.

It was the day his family crossed the border illegally from Mexico into the United States — a day that shadowed him all his life and until Friday threatened to derail his extraordinary rise from the son of a factory worker, to high school valedictorian in Texas, to Harvard college student.

Justice Department Will Fight #Arizona on #Immigration

By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD and MARK LANDLER

Published: June 18, 2010

The Obama administration has decided to file a lawsuit to strike down a new Arizona law aimed at deporting illegal immigrants, thrusting itself into the fierce national debate over how the United States should enforce immigration policies.

The federal government only occasionally intervenes forcefully in a state’s affairs, and it carries significant political risks. With immigration continuing to be a hot issue in political campaigns across the country, the Arizona law, which grants the local police greater authority to check the legal status of people they stop, has become a rallying cry for the Tea Party and other conservative groups.

The lawsuit, though widely anticipated, was confirmed by an unexpected source: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who answered a question about it from an Ecuadorean TV journalist in an interview on June 8 that went all but unnoticed until this week.

Noting that President Obama had publicly objected to the law, Mrs. Clinton said, “The Justice Department, under his direction, will be bringing a lawsuit against the act."

A spokesman for the Justice Department said the matter was still under review, but other senior administration officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said a decision had indeed been made and only the details of the legal filing were still being worked out.

Senior official reportedly echoes Clinton on #Arizona law #SB1070

A senior administration official tells CBS News that the Obama administration will challenge Arizona's immigration law, confirming Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks made in an interview Thursday on Ecuadorean television.

Despite that, though, CBS reported, a Department official continued to maintain Friday that a decision on whether to sue was still under consideration.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer lashed out at Clinton on Thursday night, calling it "outrageous" that the government wasn't informed of administration plans before Clinton told the reporter that a lawsuit was imminent.

Clinton had said in the interview: "President Obama has spoken out against the law because he thinks that the federal government should be determining immigration policy. And the Justice Department, under his direction, will be bringing a lawsuit against the act."

—Liz Goodwin is a national affairs writer for Yahoo! News

(via Yahoo News)

Clinton says administration will sue over #Arizona #immigration law #SB1070

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has told NTN24 station out of Quito, Ecuador, that the Justice Department will sue over Arizona's controversial law cracking down on illegal immigration.

The Right Scoop website has posted video of a segment of the interview:

In the interview, Clinton said, comprehensive immigration reform on a larger level is what is needed and is what the president supports.

(From Interview)

QUESTION: Thank you very much.

I would like to start with the immigration debate in the United States. The recently approved law in Arizona has presented sort of a difficult scenario for the President Obama Administration. According to some polling, half of the United States has approved this law and maybe other states would like to implement it. How’s Obama Administration dealing with this debate? Is the immigration law near reality?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Andrea, first, let me say how pleased I am that I have this chance to talk to you about these and other important issues. President Obama has spoken out against the law because he thinks that the federal government should be determining immigration policy. And the Justice Department, under his direction, will be bringing a lawsuit against the act.

But the more important commitment that President Obama has made is to try to introduce and pass comprehensive immigration reform. That is what we need. Everyone knows it, and the President is committed to doing it.

(via USAToday.com)

Arpaio to launch 16th crime, immigration sweep

Associated Press - June 15, 2010 9:34 PM ET

PHOENIX (AP) - Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says he plans to launch his 16th crime and immigration sweep on July 30, the day after Arizona's new immigration law is set to take effect.

The sheriff's office hasn't revealed where it will conduct the sweep.

During the sweeps, deputies flood an area of a city - in some cases heavily Latino areas - to seek out traffic violators and arrest other alleged lawbreakers.

Arizona's new immigration law requires police, while enforcing other laws, to question a person's immigration status if officers have a reasonable suspicion that the person is in the country illegally.

Critics who are challenging the law have asked a judge to block enforcement of the law before it takes effect July 28.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

(via KWST.com)

Portland City Council calls #Arizona #immigration law un-American

Janie Har, The Oregonian

The Portland City Council voted unanimously to oppose a controversial Arizona state law that allows police to check the immigration status of anyone suspected of being in the country illegally.

The vote was 4-0, with city commissioner Dan Saltzman absent. The Portland resolution allows the city attorney to assist in legal efforts by the mayors of Flagstaff and Tucson to overturn the Arizona law. The resolution also allows city lobbyists to push for stronger Oregon laws against racial profiling.  

Portland’s measure stops short of boycotts called by Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and other cities to stop travel to Arizona and contracts with companies based in Arizona. Mayor Sam Adams does not think boycotts are useful or legal.  

Portland’s city council is — based on their skin color — glaringly white. Still, each member spoke eloquently about the un-American nature of judging people on the way they talk or the color of their skin.

Sacramento council approves economic sanctions against #Arizona

The Sacramento City Council voted Tuesday night to place economic sanctions against Arizona companies in response to that state's immigration laws.

The sanctions passed by a 6-1 council vote are on par with the broadest actions passed by other California cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland.

They include forbidding city workers from attending conferences in Arizona on the city's dime, boycotting companies based in Arizona "where practicable and where there is no significant additional cost to the city" and potentially canceling current contracts with firms from Arizona.

"For those who would criticize us for using our time to address this critical issue in our country's history, I would say this: How can we not?" said Councilman Rob Fong, who called for the debate.

Fong added, "I've never been more proud of us" and said the city was "standing on the right side of history."

14 arrested during Denver #immigration rally

By Ivan Moreno, AP Writer
DENVER (AP) ― Police arrested 14 immigration reform advocates blocking a downtown Denver street Tuesday as more than 100 protesters sang "We shall not be moved."

The eight women and six men were arrested when they refused to disperse after being ordered to do so three times by police. The advocates were kneeling on a street in front of a federal courthouse, holding a white banner that read "Immigration Reform Now" and then later a sign that said, "Stop Breaking Up Families."

A police officer with a video camera paced around the protesters on the street. After the third warning, officers went to each protester and gave them one last chance to move. All 14 were lead away with blue plastic handcuffs, one of them yelling "Yes we can!" in Spanish as an officer took her away.