News from Arizona: SB 1070 Drafter, Russell Pearce, Recalled

The L.A. Times reports that Russell Pearce, the president of the Arizona state Senate, conceded to Republican challenger Jerry Lewis late Tuesday in the first recall of a sitting lawmaker in state history. Lewis had a 53% to 46% lead over Pearce, with all precincts reporting in their suburban Phoenix district. “Recall backers argued that Pearce’s focus on illegal immigration — he wrote the state’s controversial immigration law known as SB 1070 and a host of others — has distracted him from the needs of his district and damaged the image of the state.” The campaign was marked by controversy, including a claim that the Pearce campaign filed papers so that a Latino candidate could run against him (and drain votes from Perce’s real rival in the race).

According to his website, here are soon-to-be former Senator Pearce’s views on illegal immigration, S.B. 1070, and the DREAM Act:

“Illegal Immigration

We are a nation of laws. We must have the courage – the fortitude – to enforce, with compassion but without apology, those laws that protect the integrity of our borders and the rights of our lawful citizens from those who break our laws. The federal government has refused to fully secure our border and enforce our immigration laws. Arizona’s crisis is particularly galling because it was caused by the federal government funneling illegal aliens and drug trafficking through Arizona when it fenced off the El Paso and San Diego Sectors. Arizona cannot continue to bear this burden. For example, roughly 15% of our state prison population is made up of criminal aliens and the federal government refuses to reimburse the state.

I have proudly led Arizona’s efforts to deter and decrease illegal immigration by, among other things: (1) Deterring employers from knowingly hiring lower-paid illegal aliens instead of Americans by imposing sanctions and requiring the use of E-Verify; (2) Stopping illegal aliens and their families from obtaining the in-state university tuition subsidy and welfare benefits (passed by the voters); (3) Protecting public safety by denying bail to criminal aliens (passed by the voters); (4) Requiring persons to show identification when registering to vote and voting (passed by the voters); (5) Prohibiting illegal “sanctuary” cities and taking the political handcuffs off our law enforcement officers by allowing them to enforce immigration laws as part of their normal duties; and (6) Increasing law enforcement efforts to stop Mexican drug and human smuggling cartels.

S.B. 1070

I do not favor any substantive changes to S.B. 1070. Public opinion surveys have consistently shown that Arizonans and the majority of Americans strongly support SB 1070. The law is based on the inherent right of state and local enforcement officers to assist in enforcing federal law, including federal immigration laws, when they are performing their normal duties. Not enforcing federal immigration laws is a form of “backdoor amnesty” for illegal aliens and will only encourage more illegal immigration. SB 1070 and other measures have decreased the illegal alien population in Arizona and decreased their burden on Arizona taxpayers. While still insufficient, the federal government has put the National Guard back on the border and increased Mexican cartel interdiction efforts in the Arizona desert in response to SB 1070. Without SB 1070 and other state efforts, Arizona will be back to begging the federal government to solve a problem that it has refused to solve for decades. In other words, just talking to the federal government and Congress that won’t do anything. Washington, D.C. does not like tough decisions.

DREAM Act

I do not support the so-called “DREAM Act” on the federal or state level, which grants illegal aliens in-state tuition.

First, the federal government has no right to dictate to states on how to set tuition.

Second, it is wrong to give a tuition subsidy to students who are in the United States illegally. Arizona voters made it clear at the polls in 2006 when they voted overwhelmingly in favor of Proposition 300 by 72% to deny subsidies to illegal alien college students. We would be giving a subsidy to students who are breaking the law while not giving it to out-of-state students who are U.S. citizens or who are in the United States legally. Who is going to pay for this subsidy? State taxpayers and other university students.”

KJ