On Friday, April 23, 2010, Republican Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law SB1070, a controversial bill that many are calling the nation’s toughest immigration law. Among the bill’s most troublesome provisions is the fact that the bill grants local law enforcement officers the ability to arrest anybody they have “probable cause” to believe is an undocumented immigrant – and without a warrant.

The New Latino Movement condemns the practice of racial profiling and discriminatory policies that fuel hatred and divisiveness in our society. We know that many in our network were active in calling the governor’s office urging her not to sign the bill and we know that many of you are eager to learn more about what you can do to help ensure that our hermanos and hermanas in Arizona, and all people for that matter, are not discriminated against as other states and cities try to move forward similar legislation.

Below is an overview of some information you may find helpful followed by a petition that will allow you to voice your opinion to your local, state and national elected officials in one easy step. We’ll continue to work hard to keep you updated of the latest news and will update you on ways you can get involved in encouraging our nation’s leaders to work towards common sense solutions to our nation’s immigration challenges.

WHAT DOES SB 1070 DO?
Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070 (SB 1070), titled the “Support Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act,” is a bill civil rights groups say it will lead to more racial profiling because a section of the bill requires local police to make a reasonable attempt to determine the immigration status of someone if there is reasonable suspicion that person is undocumented.

•       Click here to view the actual bill language.
•       Click here to view the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona Bill Summary. 

WHAT ARE PEOPLE AND GROUPS SAYING ABOUT SB 1070?

Following are some links to just a few of the statements on SB 1070 that have been made by different leaders and organizations:
•       AZ Governor Jan Brewer 
•       President Barack Obama 
•       AZ Congressman Raul Grijalva 
•       Cardinal Roger Mahoney, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles
•       American Civil Liberties Union
•       National Council of La Raza
•       Mexican American Legal Defense Fund​

•       Trail of Dreams

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

(1)     SIGN OUR PETITION AGAINST SB 1070 AND LET YOUR ELECTED LEADERS KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE BILL AND THE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD FAIR, JUST IMMIGRATION REFORM. Encourage your friends and families to write messages too by sharing this page with them!

(2) STAY CONNECTED WITH NLM SO WE CAN HELP SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS AND KEEP YOU INFORMED OF THE LATEST NEWS, EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES.
If you live in Arizona and are part of our New Latino Movement network (or would like to be), please email us at newlatinomovement@gmail.com with your name, contact information, and a brief description of some of the organizing work that you, your friends and your organizations are doing around SB 1070. Also let us know if you would be interested in serving as a regional NLM chapter leader. We would love to create a NLM chapter in Arizona so that our national network can help support the efforts of progressive Latino organizers in your state.

If you live outside of the Arizona region, we also encourage you to stay connected with NLM so we can keep you informed of some of the latest information, actions, and opportunities taking place across the country. Please join us:
•       On our Email List-Serv
•       On Facebook
•       On Twitter (@LatinoMovement)
•       On LinkedIn

(3) WATCH PRESIDENT OBAMA'S IMMIGRATION SPEECH & JOIN WHITE HOUSE ONLINE FORUM AFTERWARDS!

This Thursday, July 1, President Barack Obama will deliver a speech on the need to pass comprehensive immigration reform at American University in Washington, D.C. After the speech, the White House will also host a unique online engagement event –an “Open for Questions Roundtable” – with Cecilia Muñoz, one of the President’s closest advisors on the issue. 

Immigration is one of the New Latino Movement’s three priority areas for 2010 (along with Census and November’s elections) and we would like to encourage you (and your friends, familia and co-workers) to:

--> Watch the President’s speech Thursday 07/01, at 10:45 a.m. EST/7:45 a.m. PST at http://bit.ly/WH063010

--> Participate in the White House Online Roundtable afterwards via Facebook at http://bit.ly/WH063010 

--> Share reactions during/after the speech and roundtable via Twitter. Message us @LatinoMovement and use our hashtag -- #NLM – to reach and follow friends in the NLM network. (Other good hashtags to use include #latism to reach Latinos, #p2 to reach progressives, #RI4A to reach the Reform Immigration for America network, #dreamact to reach Dream Act activists and #CIR to abbreviate comprehensive immigration reform.)