Sunday, July 3, 2011

Protests of Georgia Immigration Law

Let's be clear on what this bill does: It forbids illegal immigrants from attending college in Georgia.


Illegal being the key word. 


None the less, several thousand protesters turned up in Atlanta to protest the bill's passage. 


This bill is not about taking away rights of legal US citizens and immigrants. It's about keeping illegal immigrants, who are illegally living in the US, from using resources paid for and meant for residents who are legally here. 


Of course, it wouldn't be a progressive protest if the race card wasn't used. 

Several different groups stood with the largely Latino crowd, including representatives from the civil rights movement. The Rev. Timothy McDonald, an activist who has been supportive of immigration protesters, was among the speakers showing his solidarity.
“You are my brothers and my sisters,” McDonald told the crowd. “Some years ago, they told people like me we couldn’t vote. We did what you are doing today. We are going to send a message to the powers that be … that when the people get united, there is no government that can stop them. Don’t let them turn you around.”
Yes Reverend, and some years ago they also told people like me (a woman) we couldn't vote. But I fail to see what that has to do with the government potentially subsidizing education for illegal immigrants. 



On Monday, a judge temporarily blocked key parts of the law until a legal challenge is resolved. One provision that was blocked authorizes police to check the immigration status of suspects without proper identification. It also authorizes them to detain illegal immigrants. Another penalizes people who knowingly and willingly transport or harbor illegal immigrants while committing another crime.
Parts of similar measures in Arizona, Utah and Indiana also have been blocked by the courts.
Provisions that took effect Friday include one that makes it a felony to use false information or documentation when applying for a job. Another provision creates an immigration review board to investigate complaints about government officials not complying with state laws related to illegal immigration.


Courts blocking measures that would enable law enforcement to, you know, enforce the law. Imagine that...



Full article here

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