State Authority on Immigration
Immigration has been a growing issue for the national government ever since the signing of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986; however, many argue that this was largely a huge failure as there is no clear evidence that this piece of legislation was ever enforced to the highest degree. In today's United States the states have taken the initiative to curb immigration problems within their region. This isn't necessarily bad as it makes the issue more localized and allows state legislatures to pass solutions that fit their situation. This can allow for swifter action overall as they only have to worry about their own issues and be free from worry of other states. Most modern day legislation stems from the failed attempt at immigration reform by Congress in 2007. President Bush hoped to capture the attention of the Hispanic population in hopes of making better lives for them, but his divided government stood in his way and ultimately shot down his hopes. Some examples are listed below:
Arizona
In 2010, Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona signed, at that time, the nation's harshest bill on illegal immigration on April 23rd. Dubbed SB 1070 ( Senate Bill 1070), it requires all citizens to carry proof of citizenship and/or proper immigration papers with them at all times, otherwise they are able to be detained at any time by the police if they suspect they are in the country illegally. Though it came with harsh criticism from the public, the state was forced to create this law out of the lack of action from the federal government to make certain immigration reforms. "The law represents another tool for our state to use as we work to solve a crises we did not create and the federal government has refused to fix", Governor Jan Brewer said at the state building.
New York
As of October in 2014, New York City will propose a bill that would stop honoring the requests issued by federal immigration officers for warrants on potential illegal immigrants. It also proposes that the presence of immigration officers at the jail complex on Rikers Island would be no more. " By further limiting ICE's role in the detention and deportation of immigrant New Yorkers, we set the national standard for treatment of our immigration population" said Ms. Mark-Viverito, the City Council speaker. "Families will no longer be needlessly torn apart by ICE's Dragnet enforcement efforts". New York is very protective of their immigration population.
Resources:
Flegenheimer, Matt. "New York City Proposal Would Limit Detention of Migrants." The New York Times. The New York Times, 02 Oct. 2014. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
Archibold, Randal C. "Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration." The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 Apr. 2010. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
Weiner, Rachel. "How Immigration Reform Failed, over and over."Washington Post. The Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
Flegenheimer, Matt. "New York City Proposal Would Limit Detention of Migrants." The New York Times. The New York Times, 02 Oct. 2014. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
Archibold, Randal C. "Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration." The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 Apr. 2010. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
Weiner, Rachel. "How Immigration Reform Failed, over and over."Washington Post. The Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.