Marcy,
It is incorrect that Arizona's anti-immigrant law is only "going
after the Mexican cartels that are using their state as a corridor to
smuggle whatever yields them profits." It *is* going after gardeners,
farm workers, nannys, etc., as well as those who hire them.
The law makes it a misdemeanor with a $1000 fine to transport or
conceal an undocumented migrant, and a *felony* to transport or
conceal 10 or more such persons, with a $1000 fine per person, if the
person doing the transporting or concealing "knows or recklessly
disregards the fact that the alien has come to, has entered or remains
in the United States in violation of law." (see relevant text frp, SB
1070 below)
In other words, if you hired a Latino nanny or gardener without
checking their legal status, and drove them to your house to babysit
your kid or do some yard work, you could be convicted of a misdemeanor
and fined $1000. If you were a farmer who employed dozens of farm
workers, "harbored" them at your farm (i.e. provided shelter) and ten
or more of them turned out to be undocumented, you could be convicted
of a felony and fined tens of thousands of dollars.
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
From the text of SB 1070 (section 5):
IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR A PERSON WHO IS IN VIOLATION OF A CRIMINAL
OFFENSE TO:
1. TRANSPORT OR MOVE OR ATTEMPT TO TRANSPORT OR MOVE AN ALIEN IN THIS
STATE IN A MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION IF THE PERSON KNOWS OR RECKLESSLY
DISREGARDS THE FACT THAT THE ALIEN HAS COME TO, HAS ENTERED OR REMAINS
IN THE
UNITED STATES IN VIOLATION OF LAW.
2. CONCEAL, HARBOR OR SHIELD OR ATTEMPT TO CONCEAL, HARBOR OR SHIELD
AN ALIEN FROM DETECTION IN ANY PLACE IN THIS STATE, INCLUDING ANY
BUILDING OR
ANY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION, IF THE PERSON KNOWS OR RECKLESSLY
DISREGARDS THE
FACT THAT THE ALIEN HAS COME TO, HAS ENTERED OR REMAINS IN THE UNITED
STATES
IN VIOLATION OF LAW.
3. ENCOURAGE OR INDUCE AN ALIEN TO COME TO OR RESIDE IN THIS STATE IF
THE PERSON KNOWS OR RECKLESSLY DISREGARDS THE FACT THAT SUCH COMING TO,
ENTERING OR RESIDING IN THIS STATE IS OR WILL BE IN VIOLATION OF LAW.
B. A MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION THAT IS USED IN THE COMMISSION OF A
VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION IS SUBJECT TO MANDATORY VEHICLE
IMMOBILIZATION OR
IMPOUNDMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 28-3511.
C. A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A CLASS 1
MISDEMEANOR AND IS SUBJECT TO A FINE OF AT LEAST ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS,
EXCEPT
THAT A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION THAT INVOLVES TEN OR MORE ILLEGAL
ALIENS IS
A CLASS 6 FELONY AND THE PERSON IS SUBJECT TO A FINE OF AT LEAST ONE
THOUSAND
DOLLARS FOR EACH ALIEN WHO IS INVOLVED.
(from http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf)