• Listen to this segment

• Listen to the entire program

Protests sprouted up all over Phoenix last week to denounce a controversial part of Arizona’s immigration legislation being referred to as the “show-me-your-papers” provision. It took effect last Tuesday after a federal judge lifted a preliminary injunction issued in 2010, effectively blocking the enforcement of the statute on the streets of Arizona for the past two years.

In 2010, the Supreme Court found sections of the hotly debated law SB 1070 to be unconstitutional, such as the criminalization of those without identification on their person, authorization of arrest without a warrant, and prohibition of undocumented persons from being employed in Arizona.

However, this past June, the Court upheld the contentious provision of the bill that stipulates that police officers engaged in traffic stops and detentions must inquire about the immigration status of individuals if there is “reasonable suspicion” that the individual is not a US citizen.

Supporters of SB 1070 claim the law is intended to deter the proliferation of undocumented workers migrating to the United States. But critics and civil rights groups have expressed concern that enforcement of the law will codify racial profiling, increase deportations, and accelerate already significant pressures on undocumented people.

The ACLU, in conjunction with Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the National Immigration Law Center, is appealing the lifting of the injunction. Omar Jadwat, senior attorney for the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, said, “We believe that the show-me-your-papers provision should remain suspended and are appealing the district court’s contrary ruling to the Ninth Circuit.”

Meanwhile, Republican Presidential nominee, Mitt Romney has been attempting to court Latino voters with a recent campaign event at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and an appearance on a forum organized by Spanish language network, Univision. During the primary elections, Romney had espoused a strategy of immigrant “self-deportation” mentioning SB 1070 as an exemplar for the nation. When questioned about his position on the bill more recently, he has obfuscated, stating “we will not deport 12 million people.”

GUEST: Carlos Garcia, Executive Director of Puente

A young latina woman whose mother is undocumented caught her mother’s arrest in Mesa, Arizona on tape recently. Her mother was stopped by the police who said they can arrest her for not having her ID with her. Click here to watch the whole video.

Visit www.puenteaz.org for more information.