What does an illegal immigrant look like?

That's okay, they'll just deport every hispanic who cannot prove they were born in the United States to their satisfaction. Given that they're not satisfied that Obama was born here, very few will be able to provide the kind of proof necessary. Republican Party membership might be considered acceptable.

And then they run the kind of misinformation campaigns typical of the last election to frighten Hispanics away from the polls, for fear that they, too, will be deported.

Man, I am cynical this morning.

Counties and municipalities are really hurting for revenue right now, and this law carries a hefty fine for not providing documentation on demand.

I'm thinking of all of those SUVs loaded with kids who, scofflaws that they are, aren't carrying drivers licenses or other suitable papers.

Counties and municipalities are really hurting for revenue right now

...and one of the provisions of the law, as I've heard from various sources, is that citizens can sue a government for not doing enough about the problem. It's lose-lose for the local governments: either they enforce the law and cough up hefty penalties and legal fees when the ACLU challenges them, or they correctly recognize that the law is unconstitutional and cough up hefty legal fees to defend themselves against the yahoos who sue them for not following an unconstitutional law.

I could easily be mistaken for an undocumented Canadian. And I do live very close to our insufficiently walled and moated northern border. I guess I'll have to be very careful not to say eh? if I ever visit Arizona.

I'm thinking of all of those SUVs loaded with kids who, scofflaws that they are, aren't carrying drivers licenses or other suitable papers.

It gets even better. Driver's license isn't suitable to establish whether one is "illegal". How many kids carry a birth certificate or passport?

Eric @ #3:

The municipalities are pretty safe if they over-enforce the law since any challenges will be to the State, not to them, and will be with regard to profiling and other selective enforcement practices.

Simply demanding proof of legal residency of everyone is actually consistent with established law. Pretty damned stupid, I grant you, and bad public policy -- but not easily challenged in court.

I believe that the entire AZ state legislature is composed of illegal aliens. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Honestly? Not seeing a problem, here, as AZ is only doing what the federal government REFUSES to do, and that is to actually FIND AND DEPORT illegal immigrants.

Well, good enough, as long as you're willing to keep your US passport on your bedstand, WMDKitty, in case the cops come to give you bad news at 3AM and are forced to check your citizenship status. (I assume that would be the only time a law-abiding citizen like you has contact with law enforcement.)

The only way Arizona is going to be able to enforce this is if law enforcement immediately starts to require everyone they contact to present evidence of citizenship, because there's nothing physical other than papers that can legitimately be used as proof of non-citizenship. Not skin color, not accent, not clothing, and certainly not accessories.

Man, I feel sorry for the people at the passport office, who are going to have to process the entire state of Arizona sometime fairly soon here. I feel sorry for the cops, too, since this is going to add a lot of headaches to their jobs. Also because they can't go to a school and let the kids work the sirens any more, not without checking all the little ones' papers.

My guess is they look like a terrorist. Or a Scot - even a True Scot. They even look catholic, or lutheran, or even American. In fact I can say with absolute certainty that all the Mexican illegal immigrants look American (just not the US brand of American though Mexico, like the USA, has a diversity of people). Of course we could also argue that Chinese illegal immigrants also look American, unless of course we say that naturalized Chinese migrants are not True Americans. Goddamn, I'd better quit before my head explodes.

@WMDKitty: No problem? Just look at the heading: what does an illegal immigrant look like? As a (former) resident of Az, I'm disgusted by how much the state's legislature has degraded. Throughout my years in Az I was never keen on any of the political candidates, but those people look sensible compared to the current breed of kooks. Hell, (on the federal level) even while Barry Goldwater was still alive I decided he's actually one of the good guys. The current kooks make Goldwater look like a far-left wing pinko.

The only way Arizona is going to be able to enforce this is if law enforcement immediately starts to require everyone they contact to present evidence of citizenship, because there's nothing physical other than papers that can legitimately be used as proof of non-citizenship. Not skin color, not accent, not clothing, and certainly not accessories.

I've now heard (can anyone confirm?) that a Phoenix official stated on Rachel Maddow that the city's policy will be to demand proof of legal residency from everyone covered by the statute. It's the only way that the city can comply without being sued by Joe Arpaio.

Besides, mayor Gordon hates this shit and isn't shy about admitting it.

The current kooks make Goldwater look like a far-left wing pinko.

Barry would be run out of the current POG, much less the teabaguettes. Bear in mind that the John Birch Society is now considered barely conservative enough to be acceptable.

Honestly? Not seeing a problem, here, as AZ is only doing what the federal government REFUSES to do, and that is to actually FIND AND DEPORT illegal immigrants.

Honestly? I would love to see them pick your dumbass up for not having your fucking birth certificate on you and throw you in lock-up for six months.

Have proof of citizenship on you at all times, or spend time in jail even if you are legal? Keeping in mind the drivers license isn't proof - you need to have your fucking papers. And of course if you just happen to look illegal, but it never would have occurred to you to have your proof of citizenship?

I have brown friends in fucking AZ. No problem is easy enough for a pasty dumbfuck in WA. Try actually being potentially effected by this bullshit and tell me how little a fucking problem it is.

@D.C.Sessions: Well, there go my plans to return to Az for retirement. So much for sitting outside swilling beer while staring at the yucca, saguarro, and jolla - and cursing everytime I forget to burn the burrs off a prickly pear before attempting to pick it.

The current kooks make Goldwater look like a far-left wing pinko.

Before his death, Goldwater quipped he and Bob Dole were now part of the "liberal wing" of the republican party. And that was 16 years ago. The GOP has gone even further to the right since then. In the 1960s, conservatives like William F. Buckley couldn't run away from the John Birch Society fast enough. Now the JBS is calling the shots.

Simply demanding proof of legal residency of everyone is actually consistent with established law.

Um, no. There is this little detail called the Fourth Amendment which prohibits this workaround. Your mere presence on the street does not constitute reasonable suspicion that you are engaged in illegal activity; therefore the police cannot require you to show identification. Any county or municipality whose police officers tried to do this would be subject to a Federal lawsuit, and they almost certainly would lose.

You'd be right, Eric, except, of course, that GW Bush deciderered the Fourth Amendment was just getting in Cheney's way, and gutted it.

Madscientist:

Well, there go my plans to return to Az for retirement. So much for sitting outside swilling beer while staring at the yucca, saguarro, and jolla - and cursing everytime I forget to burn the burrs off a prickly pear before attempting to pick it.

On the off-chance that you're serious, I will note that I'm moving to New Mexico as soon as circumstances permit. There's more yucca, plenty of cholla, but alas no saguaros. Mesquite grows in the middle Rio Grande valley, though, and there's a great brewpub in Socorro.

Plus, the air's vastly cleaner. YMMV on the government.

Arizona was part of mexico once anyone who's not native or mexican should get out there that's for white people okay. stop discriminating spanish people you think just because you're white you can do whatever you want [ignorant]