Criminal Justice System Immigration Laws

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Criminal Justice System Immigration Laws

Provide 2-3 detailed paragraphs. Use proper APA citation throughout. 12 point font, double-spaced. Use references provided.

Because of the increase in immigration, there has been an increase in immigration laws. One example of immigration law is the Arizona Immigration Law. The passage of an Arizona immigration law in April of 2010 sparked a heated debate about immigration and enforcement. This law requires police officers to detain any individual they suspect may be in the country illegally and requires immigrants to carry documentation at all times. Many people argue that this law promotes racial profiling, as anyone who seems foreign in appearance or speech is subject to detention and arrest by police officers. Opponents of the law also say that the law intrudes on federal responsibility for foreign policy. Some even say that the law discourages reporting of crimes; if an illegal immigrant is victimized, he or she might not report the crime for fear of being detained and deported.

On the other hand, many people strongly support the Arizona immigration law. Supporters of the law state that it already is a federal crime for an immigrant not to carry proper registration and that the Arizona law merely adds a state penalty to this crime. Others add that Arizona has a unique stake in immigration, as it is one of the nation’s top areas of illegal immigration. Still others argue that failing to enforce immigration laws increases illegal immigration and delays the process for legal immigrants to enter the country.

For this Discussion, you explore your position on the topic of immigration laws. Select an immigration law for this Discussion and consider whether or not that law is justifiable.

*Be aware that your colleagues in this course may have different viewpoints than your own. Please be respectful in your posts and responses to others.

Post by Day 4 an explanation of the immigration law you selected. Then explain how the immigration law might impact special populations that reside in a state where the law is applicable. Then provide your position on whether or not the immigration law is justifiable. Justify your response with references to the literature and Learning Resources.

Readings

  • Course Text: Investigating Difference: Human and Cultural Relations in Criminal Justice
    • Chapter 7, “Exclusion, Inclusion and Violence: Immigrants and Criminal Justice”
    • Chapter 9, “Unwelcome Citizens: Latinos and the Criminal Justice System”
    • Chapter 10, “Perpetual Outsiders: Criminal Justice and the Asian American Experience”
  • Article: Beck, J. A. (2010). Victims’ rights and public safety? Unmasking racial politics in crime discourses surrounding parole revocation for “lifers” in California. Western Criminology Review, 11(1), 20–36.
    Retrieved from the Walden Library using the SocINDEX with Full Text database.
  • Article: Chacón, J. M. (2010). Tensions and trade-offs: protecting trafficking victims in the era of immigration enforcement. University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 158, 1609–1653.
    Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Academic Search Complete database.
  • Article: Dishner, J. (2010). The Arizona uproar. Law Enforcement Technology, 37(10), 70–76.
    Retrieved from the Walden Library using the ProQuest database.
  • Article: McDowell, M. G., & Wonders, N. A. (2010). Keeping migrants in their place: Technologies of control and racialized public space in Arizona. Social Justice, 36(2), 54–72.
    Retrieved from the Walden Library using the SocINDEX with Full Text database.
  • Article: Voeltz, W. O. (2011). Clearing the air over Arizona. Sheriff, 63(2), 6–10.
    Retrieved from the Walden Library using the ProQuest database.