Texas Lawmakers Shouldn’t Waste Time On Anti-Immigrant Law Similar to Arizona’s
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dotty Griffith, Public Education Director, ACLU Foundation of Texas, (512) 478-7300 x 106 or 923-1909; [email protected]
AUSTIN -- In response to reports that State Rep. Leo Berman of Tyler plans to introduce anti-immigrant legislation similar to that recently passed in Arizona, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas Executive Director Terri Burke issued the following statement: “At a time when the State of Texas is facing an $11 billion shortfall, it is preposterous that an elected official would even consider throwing an unconstitutional racial profiling law into the legislative mix. Last session, we wasted months on Voter ID, another anti-immigrant proposal disguised as a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist – polling place fraud. We can’t afford nonsense like that in the coming session.”
Arizona’s law is unconstitutional. It doesn’t make Arizonans safer. It is leading to national protests and perhaps an economic boycott of the state. Over time, enforcement will erode community confidence in police and reduce community cooperation in fighting crime. Texas doesn’t need any of these bad results from a bad law,” added Burke.
