THE BORDER REPORT

An off-the-record (and off the cuff) comment by a New Yorker I was interviewing this morning regarding SB 1070: "Like I'm supposed to condone a law that permits a level of law enforcement discretion that borders on fascism that has, through Morales and Papachristou, a demonstrated tendency to result in discrimination against the unpopular and undesirable, because some of you assholes down south can't grasp that living where a wealthy nation borders a poor nation might have some negative side effects. Living in Arizona and bitching about illegals is like living next to a pig farm and complaining about the smell."

THE BORDER REPORT

The Associated Press finds that the top immigration law administrators in the United States have never bothered to read Arizona's SB 1070 that was signed into law a month ago. Homeland Security Sec. Janet Napolitano was asked today by Sen. John McCain if she's read the law. She says: "I've not reviewed it in detail. I certainly know of it, Senator." U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was asked last week "have you read the Arizona law?" "I have not had a chance to -- I've glanced at it. I have not read it," he said. Within 72 hours of 1070's passage, A.G. Holder had threatened to sue Arizona. So that's nice. Now, other than the president, can you name me one individual more instrumental in defining U.S. immigration and border security laws than the secretary of the Homeland Security Department and the Attorney General of the United States? This reminds me of Hillary Clinton being asked if she'd read the Bush Administration's case for Iraq back in 2002 and replying that no, she hadn't. Keep in mind that SB 1070 is 19 pages long. These people make my teeth hurt.

THE BORDER REPORT

The outrage has simmered throughout the country for a few days now, with activists calling for a boycott of Arizona after the passage of the first state bill in the nation that criminalizes illegal immigrants. The loudest voices seem to think the status quo of sustaining what's essentially a slave labor class is a solution. Well, no; it's not.

Most of the economic threats I'm reading about this morning  are weak bluster with no teeth, particularly the loudest voices, the San Francisco, Calif., Board of Supervisors and the League of United Latin American Citizens.

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THE BORDER REPORT

Oh, come on. Like she wasn't gonna sign it. Of course she was going to sign it. Her re-election depended on it. I'll go you one further: And the woman knows the bill's going to get tossed in the trash for its illegal measures. The Phoenix Republicans love her; the Democrats will call the bill's subsequent destruction a victory. She'll get re-elected and the border will continue churning over billions of illicit dollars, unhindered until the next crisis. For now, Gov. Jan Brewer signed Senate Bill 1070 into law this afternoon, creating one of the most draconian environments against non-white residents I've ever seen. I'm assuming the challenges citing the Fourth Amendment are going to be introduced in federal court by Monday, if they haven't already. I hope so, anyway. At this point in the game, the only situation that is going to keep this law from being exercised by the cops is going to be a federal injunction. This is where I see the lawsuits playing out: One of the conditions for Senate Bill 1070 is that race must not be the only factor in a cop's determination to ask an individual for his papers. However, and this is where the lawyers will work it:  they can couple race with something as simple as "driving in a corridor known for human smuggling", to establish reasonable suspicion to pull you over. Try defining a corridor in Arizona that isn't used for human smuggling. Interstate 10? I-85 from Sonoyta to Phoenix? I-19 from Nogales to Tucson? I-80 from Douglas to the 10? Gov. Brewer's response to the new police powers?

"We have to trust our law enforcement,'' Brewer said. "Police officers are going to be respectful. They know what their jobs are, they've taken an oath. And racial profiling is illegal."

Of course they are. I've said it before and I'll say it again: This is the choice police departments now face – be sued for racial profiling or be sued for not enforcing immigration law. Good luck with that. This poor state is facing a $2.6 billion deficit in 2011; last month, the legislature voted $1.1 billion in cuts, including closing most of the state parks, eliminating a childrens' health program that leaves 47,000 low-income children without coverage, slicing into public schools by as much as $780 per student in some districts, and even, oh delicious irony, cutting into law enforcement. Arizona may lead the nation in identity theft but the Department of Public Safety's ID Theft Task Force was one of the law enforcement units eliminated in the budget last month. I hope you kept a stash of cash tucked away somewhere for the Attorney General's office, Governor. My guess is a legal bill is going to come due very, very soon.

THE BORDER REPORT

Just got this information from a source in Southern Arizona. The U.S. Border Patrol is looking for this man, Alejandro Chavez-Vasquez, 36 years old, in connection with the March killing of Cochise County rancher, Robert Krentz.

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