Gov. Brewer Signs Arizona Immigration Enforcement Bill

Washington, D.C.,
April 23, 2010—Arizona Governor Jan Brewer today signed into law SB 1070, a
harsh new anti-immigration bill that will substantially harm Arizona’s economy and law enforcement,
according to Competitive
Enterprise Institute Immigration Policy Analyst Alex Nowrasteh:

“The law should be called the ‘Job Destruction and Crime
Promotion Act of 2010’. Placing more restrictions on Arizona
employers, who are already required to use the federal government’s E-Verify
tracking system, will only make an economic recovery less likely in the Grand Canyon State. Furthermore, it will overburden Arizona’s already
fiscally-strapped police departments with the impossible task of enforcing this
law.

“If the state of Arizona
really wants to do something about illegal immigration, they should end public
assistance and welfare programs for all illegal immigrants. Forcing illegal
immigrants and employers deeper into a black market won’t solve the
problem.    

“Ironically, enforcing immigration laws will actually
increase crime. SB 1070 will essentially deputize every state employee in Arizona, turning them
into immigration enforcement officers. This law will make illegal immigrants
fearful of every police officer. The goal of the police should be to protect
communities from violent criminals. 
Arresting illegal immigrants on sight will destroy decades of hard work
building trust in immigrant communities, making it harder to solve crimes that
impact every Arizonan regardless of immigration status.”

CEI is a non-profit, non-partisan
public interest group that studies the intersection of regulation, risk, and
markets.