Reply To: Political Statements
The local/federal split on immigration enforcement is tricky. If I were approached by law enforcement authorities who wanted me to prove my US citizenship, on the spot, in order to avoid deportation, I might have trouble. A driver’s license isn’t proof of citizenship. That and a birth certificate would be sufficient identification for employment purposes, but I don’t normally carry my birth certificate. I have a passport, but I’m not in the habit of carrying it. Federal immigration authorities have implicitly recognized that I’m a US citizen, since it was on that basis that they approved my wife’s naturalization, but local police attempting to enforce federal immigration law might not have that information at their disposal. I suspect that Latino citizens in Maricopa county are in the habit of carrying their passports at all times. “Papers, please?”
It’s because of legitimate federal concern over out-of-control local authorities that the 14th amendment exists in the first place, and I’d like to see more federal oversight of dubious local police practices.