Arizona: Stop Violent Crime By Protecting Undocumented Immigrant Women

With Mother's Day just past, this is a good time to remember the need to protect women and their children. As you might have heard, "Hips Don't Lie" singer Shakira has used her star status to denounce Arizona SB 1070 as endangering women. Whenever, wherever, she thinks this law "is unjust and it's inhuman, and it violates the civil and human rights of the Latino community ... It goes against all human dignity, against the principles of most Americans I know."

In response to widespread concerns from the immigrant rights community, the original version of the law, which would have mandating IDing those suspected of being undocumented during any "lawful contact," including victims of and witnesses to crimes, has been altered to made that police question those encountered during a "lawful stop, detention or arrest." This is an important change, but it's not enough.

Shakira met with undocumented immigrant women in Arizona, many of them domestic violence survivors, and listened to their fears over the new law. Undocumented immigrant women are already more likely to be subject to domestic abuse and less likely to approach law enforcement; in addition, many abusive partners will wield the threat of deportation over their heads to keep them submissive, from leaving, or from seeking health. The climate of fear and suspicion a law like SB 1070 creates harms community policing and deters women further from coming forward.

But, as Laura Tillman writes for the Women's Media Center, there is a way to focus on real criminal behavior and protect immigrant women and children: have police build trust with communities, encourage people to report crimes, and work to assure them that they will be prioritizing arresting dangerous criminals, not just undocumented immigrants. As Police Chief Carlos Garcia in Brownsville, TX, states, "You’re going to have more issues and problems as a result of the crimes not reported [in Arizona] because people are going to be afraid of the local police departments. Criminals are going to take advantage."

If Arizona wanted to, it could could put a major dent in serious criminal activity by instructing the police to build better relations with communities and assure them that reporting assaults will only be in their interest. It could protect women from abuse, sexual assault, and even death if it, say, undertook a public relations campaign advertising the existence of the little known U visa — a visa which is offered too rarely, but that allows victims of a crime, usual domestic violence, to receive legal status in the United States. Instead, it's busy forcing police officers to prioritize enforcing immigration law (which is federal jurisdiction anyway) over violent crime, banning ethnic studies, and restricting reproductive health coverage. Priorities?

Photo credit: ghetto__guera29