JONESBORO – First District Congressional candidate, United States Army veteran, and agri-business owner Rick Crawford has condemned U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton’s temporary injunction against critical parts of the recently-passed Arizona immigration law. The law was set to go into effect today. Crawford also called on the Administration to back down on its lawsuit against the law and promised to push for passage of legislation that will crack down on illegal immigration.
In April, Arizona passed SB 1070. The most controversial parts of the sweeping law require police officers to “make a reasonable attempt to determine the immigration status of a person stopped, detained or arrested.” The law also makes it a crime to “for an unauthorized alien to solicit, apply for or perform work.” It is already a violation of Federal law for an employer to knowingly hire or employ an illegal alien.
Crawford says, “The Arizona law is a common sense law. A police officer should be free to run a background check on anyone he stops for violation of a traffic law. The officer should not be the subject of a Federal lawsuit; he should be applauded for doing good police work. The Administration should drop its lawsuit.”
This month the Obama Administration, acting through Attorney General Eric Holder, sued Arizona, claiming the Federal government has sole responsibility for addressing immigration issues. Judge Bolton issued the injunction in response to the Obama Administration’s lawsuit. The injunction temporarily prevents the above-described sections from going into effect.
“The old joke used to be, ‘we’re from the government and we’re here to help.’ However, now the Obama Administration is telling Arizona, ‘we’re from the government and we’re here to prevent you from helping.’” Crawford continued, “It is hypocritical for Eric Holder to sue Arizona for dealing with a problem the Obama Administration has failed to address. The residents of the First District can be sure when I’m elected; I will not duck the tough issues.”
Karen Mette Mckinney says
I am stunned how little response or rather total lack of response there has been in region 8 about the illegal immigration situation Arizona is having to deal with. Do people not realize the same thing is happening in Jonesboro itself. The fact that our so-called president has time to spend the morning on the “View” and bost about his lies, yet he cannot stand up for fellow Americans having to deal with war-zone like events around our borders. Instead he sues an American state for protecting itself from illegals. Apart from drug smucklers and other fellons that cross our borders, what about terrorists entering our borders from the South. Imagine the possible terrorist infiltration we might already have and not knowing. It is alarming and there are not enough words to be said about this. Whatever Arizona decides to do in this matter I totally stand beside them. I just wish I lived in a state that would have enough back bone to take the same stand and show our administration that some states can do their own thinking and take their own actions. The Obama administration is ruining this country. I don’t know his agenda but I am extremely worried. He is not acting out for Americans. I will vote for you, trusting you will fight for our state and take a stand and not bow down to political “back-room-deals”. If we had people in charge, the kind of people this country had some 250 years ago, we would be a blessed and thriving country but that would take somebody that would not back down and truly fight for the cause. We have already lost most of our country. It will take a divine act to reverse the damages done already, but it can be done. What can I do to help.
Karen Mette Mckinney