How I predicted the future

Years ago I tried to have a conversation with Jose about his status.  I told him we had to do something about it and that I didn't want him working.  He of course brushed it all off saying it would be impossible for the government to catch every one much less deport them.  My biggest concern was for him to be rounded up somewhere or pulled over and I didn't want him driving around or in a situation where he could be arrested.  My argument at the time, and we're taking about at least 4 or 5 years ago, was it wouldn't be that difficult.  I told him there are plenty of racist people in this country, many of them in positions of power.  It would just be a matter of time before the grip would tighten and people would have no choice to migrate else where if not to their home countries.  All people had to do was require State IDs for everything.  With the passing of the Alabama law which was upheld by Judge Blackburn a whole new dynamic is hitting the state and our country.  Children have stopped going to school for fear of being deported or having one if not both of their parents deported and now it appears that even getting water services can get you deported. This is exactly what I had told Jose way back when, it was just a matter of time.  Start cutting of basic needs for lack of proper identification and people will have no choice but to hit the road.  I would like to think the Alabama law will be shut down, but in the mean time it is alive and well and it's hurting a lot of people.  Even if the federal government managed to kill the law, the damage that it has caused can not be undone.

The ignorance and racism behind this and all the other laws boggles my mind and quite frankly scares me.  I'm brown, I'm a U.S.Citizen but I'm brown.  Dark hair, brown eyes and every thing.  If I happen to go to Alabama and someone heard me speaking Spanish, I have no doubt that they'd wonder about my status.  It's sad to think that in my own country I feel unwelcome but that'ts exactly how I feel.  I'm not gonna lie, when I drove down to see Jose with my brother I was a little concerned about what we were going to experience.  We had stopped at a Steak N Shake and although the service and food was excellent, I couldn't help but notice the other customers looking at us weird.  Maybe it was just my imagination.

Alabama will never be the same after this. Those who were afraid have been ousted and those who were ready to uphold the law now have ICE on speed dial.  

The bicycle guy

Last night I got a text from my sister-in-law that read:

"I think we saved a guy from going to jail. The cops were making him read a paper that said I understand....And he clearly did not understand what they were telling him."

I called her this morning and she explained the following.

She and my brother had walked to a local store to buy some stuff they needed.  On the way back they saw 6 cops with a man (who happened to be Latino).  The man was on a bicycle and had what looked like a grocery bag.  They were asking him to read something on a card that started with "I understand...".  It was obvious that the guy had no idea was going on or what he was reading, he was butchering every word.  So my sister-in-law asked the officers if she could translate for them.  They said no, they were ok.  So my sister-in-law and my brother stayed and watched them.  After a while they told the guy to just go, and he left.

Now, I may be a little slow but you would think that if they had a reason to stop him, while on his bicycle mind you, they wouldn't have let him go.  I mean if someone reported he had shoplifted or was trying to get into parked cars or was vandalizing, they wouldn't have let him go.  This leads me to think that they probably had no real reason to stop him and were trying to force him to say he understood what was going on and then were going to arrest him.  They have Latino cops that speak Spanish, one couldn't be called in to translate? I mean they had 6 cops there already what's one more??

To me it seemed like they stopped him because they suspected he was undocumented.  It is very disappointing to see this happen.  Who do you report that to?  Is the chief telling them to do such a thing?  How many people has this been done to already?  If my sister-in-law and brother were not there watching them, what would have happened to that guy? The guy, for all I know, was probably a U.S. Resident, but maybe he wasn't.  Why are cops telling people to read off a card like that?

Dear Supporters of State Immigration Laws

It seems like every day every state in the country is attempting to pass it's own immigration law.  It started with Arizona and has spread rampant across the country, one bill after another.  Some are passing some are not.  I get it, states are frustrated.  The federal government is playing tug of war with the subject and basically ignoring the issue by playing the blame game.  My issue with these laws is this, as a Latina who is a US citizen by birth I feel personally attacked by these laws.

These laws that are popping up are being set up so that undocumented immigrants can be found and essentially be "sent back home" even if they have set roots and have US family members in this country. How are these laws supposed to be enforced by local law enforcement officers?  What is a valid reason for an officer to be "suspicious" of  a person being undocumented?  You can't tell by looking at them, undocumented immigrants come in every walk of life, just like their "legal" counter parts.  Is it a persons accent?  The color of their skin?  Is it cuz their freaked out some cop just pulled them over, gun in hand? How are local law enforcement officers going to be prevented from stereotyping?

Reality is that when a person thinks "illegal immigrant" they see images of tanned skin, brown hair, brown eyes bouncing around in their head.  I take offense to this, I'm a dark haired, tanned skinned person.  Do I look undocumented?   Truth of the matter is if I forget my DL at home for what ever reason and I get pulled over by a cop, I would say there's a good chance he's gonna take me in.  If Mr. Tom Smith get's pulled over without a DL, he's probably going to get a verbal warning and will be off on his merry way.  There is a higher chance authorities will doubt my  "papers" authenticity...not so of Mr. Smiths.  My point is why should the majority be inconvenienced just so that the minority can pretend to feel safe?  (By minority I mean old white men)  Why do any of you feel like it's ok and should be a burden that we should bare?  If you are a person of color who is in favor of these laws, think twice buddy, you my find yourself in an immigration prison the next time you get pulled over. Don't take my word for it, Google it. There are plenty of US citizens who have almost been deported and others that have because of this.  These laws are violating my rights and are offensive to me a US citizen who should not have to live in fear just because I'm browner than the jackasses...ahem...politicians who are making these laws up.

If these politicians had any sense of justice and in doing the right thing they would get rid of these blatantly racist laws and put pressure on the federal government to take care of the issue.  Immigration reform is needed there is not doubt about it.   No one should have to wait a decade before being able to even start the process of bring their loved one home.  People shouldn't be barred from ever coming the US because of none violent mistakes that Americans do ALL THE TIME.

Violent undocumented immigrants have no place here.  Sorry Bud, you broke into a DD for some munchkins at gun point, you're SOL.  It's easy to accept these laws when you are not a victim of them.