MMSA Students React to New Immigration Law

By: Harry Diggs-Wilson '11 & Jose Fernandez '11

On May 5, 2010 a few of the students from Marine Math and Science Academy (MMSA) held a day of silence against the new Immigration Law SB1070 2010 that was passed in Arizona on April 23, 2010.

The Arizona Immigration Law was signed by the Governor Jan Brewer. The law now makes it a state crime for people to be in the United States illegally. The law states that law enforcers are required to ask individuals that they suspect to be in the US illegally to produce proof that they are legal citizens. If they cannot show proof, they will be detained. The consequences of illegal citizenship are imprisonment for six months, and a $2,500 fine.

Many people feel that this law is unconstitutional or as Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon says "just plain wrong." Statistics show that 30 percent of Arizona is Hispanic and about 80 percent of illegal immigrants are also Hispanic. People feel that it will cause racial profiling against people with color or non-white citizens. "Are we going to get pulled over just because of a broken taillight or because of the color of our skin? ... If so, is everybody going to be pulled over?" Stated a protester Jose Acosta.

Despite being almost two thousand miles away from Arizona, students at MMSA reacted as if it was happening right here in Chicago. “I believe that the new law is wrong.” Says a MMSA cadet who feels that with these new laws, families in Arizona will now have to worry more about the safety of themselves and their children. Although the law does not only target Hispanics, 80 percent of the illegally immigrants are Hispanic. Cadets from MMSA who protested the new law felt that Arizona is only doing these to help open up more jobs by taking away jobs held by illegal immigrants.

Although there are a lot of people that are against the law there are also many people for the law. 59 percent of people in Arizona approve the new illegal immigration Law. The people in Arizona feel that illegal immigrants shouldn’t be in the States and should be sent back. They also feel that the police have the right to detain ask questions to anyone they have suspicious of being in the states illegally.