Immigration demonstrations kick off in Arizona

Jul 29, 2010 — Los Angeles Times

Nicholas Riccardi

Jul. 29, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- REPORTING FROM PHOENIX -- -- Opponents of Arizona's hardline stance on illegal immigration launched a small religious procession from the state Capitol before dawn Thursday, the first of a series of demonstrations for the day the nation's strictest immigration law was due to take effect.

A federal judge Wednesday halted implementation of much of the law, known as SB1070, ruling it unconstitutional. But activists said they had to keep up the pressure on a state that has come to define the national debate over illegal immigration.

"We live here in a climate of fear," said Alfredo Gutierrez, a former state senator who joined about 100 people on a two-mile march at 4:30 am. "The context of Arizona is foreign to this country. This is basically a nation that's become hostile to its own people."

SB1070 declared the state's policy is "attrition through enforcement" -- an attempt to drive out illegal immigrants who comprise about 7% of the population here through a series of criminal penalties. Even without the law, though, the state has used many tools against illegal immigrants.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was expected to demonstrate one of them later Thursday by launching one of his controversial "sweeps," in which his deputies fan out through immigrant neighborhoods, stopping people for sometimes minor infractions and checking their immigration status.

In an unusual light drizzle Thursday, the marchers left the Capitol bearing images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, en route to a church service. Channtal Polanco, 19, is one of several people who have staged a 24-hour vigil at the Capitol during the 103 days since the Legislature passed SB1070 in April.

Polanco, a U.S. citizen, took the extraordinary step after a cousin and his wife, both of whom are in the country illegally, asked her to be designated the guardian of their 10-year-old, U.S. -born daughter should they get deported.

"That broke my heart," said Polanco, a community college student.

She noted the several steps Arizona has taken against illegal immigrants and said that "at some point, this has to end. You have to reach the bottom to get to the top. I have to believe this is the bottom."

nicholas.riccardi@latimes.com

Newstex ID: KRTB-1430-47430384