From the Official Welcome Guide for New Immigrants provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services with one very important item highlighted. Under the heading of “Your Rights and Responsibilities” is this item:
Carry proof of your permanent resident status at all times.
In other words, being asked to “show your papers” is a known requirement and the official rule!
When I renewed my driver's license, I had to show my birth certificate, my passport, and I even brought along my discharge papers from the U.S. Army.
In "foreign" countries it is not unusual for people to be asked to show their papers. Frequently. If you can't present papers you can be arrested or taken to the embassy to be sent home. It should be no different in this country; however as the US Government doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings we just let it all go and sing Kumbaya around the burning fire that was the US Constitution...
ReplyDeleteThere is another alternative to "showing your papers".
ReplyDelete1. Anyone can pass through the borders for any legal purpose.
2. There is no free rent, health care, food, education, nor other PUBLIC largess for anyone no matter how needy.
3. There is no right to vote unless you are a natural born citizen or properly naturalized immigrant.
4. If you are neither a natural born citizen nor naturalized immigrant, your children born while in the US do not thereby become a citizen.
5. If you commit a crime and are not a legal citizen, you have signaled that you do not respect the rights of others and have abandoned all claim to rights. We can process you in the most economical and expeditious manner available.
This is based upon the principle that no man is a slave to another for any reason whatsoever. Need is NOT an undeniable claim and no man is obligated to do anything but respect the rights of others BY NOT VIOLATING THEM.
Alan, I have mixed feelings about this. While I'm not in favor of illegal immigration, I'm not sure that I like the idea of being asked to "show your papers" on any slight suspicion or even on a whim.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct about the requirement for immigrants to carry proof of immigration status, but what about citizens? obviously there is no requirement for them. How can an officer of the law tell which is which without first demanding, "show me your papers". If I'm an immigrant I must comply, but as a citizen I can say "F*** off!".
Your experience with the drivers license renewal is not exactly the same thing. In that case you made a choice to renew.
The new AZ law will allow officers to ask ANYONE, without real probable cause, to show their papers. I don't believe this is what we want in America.
As you may know, there is already controversy in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, over the heavy handed tactics of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, best known for his no nonsense treatment of convicted criminals, who live in tents, and wear pink underware.
By some accounts, he has become THE law, rather an officer sworn to uphold the law. watch this outrageous video of one of his deputies stealing a paper from a defense attorney in court. Arpaio
defended this deputy to the point of arresting a superior court judge arrested in whose courtroom the deputy was to appear.
Sheriff Joe is already known for abusive treatment of people with brown skin, and it can only get worse with the new law.
Here's more on Arpaio from Warren Meyer at Coyote Blog.
Mr. Caruba, a lot of things have made me frustrated lately- but this one just about kills me. I am so sick and tired of all the liberal (and even some republican) talk about this. Everything from the "undocumented" workers are only doing jobs Ammericans won't do- which is HOGWASH, to now this whole profiling thing.
ReplyDeleteDue to the nice terrorist (oops- sorry, that's man made disasters) activity, everyone is required to have a passport, even between friendly north American countries. Since our income has been pretty much nil for the past year, I haven't been able to get a passport. Which means, I can not go to Canada, God forbid something happens to one of my family members- until I have my papers and passport. Ever since I went through the process nearly 20 years ago, I have done everything required to enter and stay here. Multiply my stoy by millions of others. It makes me furious that the dem. lead congress and occupying obama will use this issue of Arizona protecting itself when the feds won't to pass immigration reform. Even more disgusting to me is the absolute deception of trying to claim that folks such as myself who are against illegal immigration, as being anti immigrant. We are NOT against immigrants, or I'd be against myself! I have no doubt that most people entering are only doing so to provide for their families where they can not do that from their home country. However- there is still a process, and if they would go through it like the rest of us, they wouldn't have the problems of breaking the law to get here in the first place, breaking the law while driving without licenses, being victims of coyotes, human trafficers and drug runners. One last thing here. This is even more of a security issue than anything else. Sure, the drug and gang criminals, rapists and murderers are bad enough- but how hard would it be for someone from the middle east to appear as a "undocumented" immigrant, all the while carrying a small suitcase stuffed full of something that could kill a lot of people? May sound paranoid- but it's more frustrating than anything. God Bless you Mr. Caruba and thank you again for allowing me to vent.