Immigration law spurs protests

Opponents contend Arizona law will lead to racial profiling.

PHOENIX — A day after the most contentious provision of Arizona’s immigration law took effect, rallies were planned around Phoenix to protest the law that civil rights activists contend will lead to systematic racial profiling.

Leticia Ramirez has been telling immigrants who are in the United States illegally, like herself, that if pulled over by police, they should offer only their name and date of birth — and carry no documents that show where they were born.

“We want to teach the community how to defend themselves, how to answer to police, how to be prepared, and to have confidence that they’re going to have help,” said Ramirez, from the Mexican state of Coahuila.

U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton ruled Tuesday that police can immediately start enforcing the law’s so-called “show me your papers” provision. It requires officers, while enforcing other laws, to question the immigration status of those suspected of being in the country illegally.

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the provision in June on the grounds that it does not conflict with federal law. Opponents who asked Bolton to block it argued that it would lead to systematic racial profiling and unreasonably long detention of Latinos.

Bolton said the law’s opponents were merely speculating on racial profiling. She did leave the door open to challenges if the claims can be proven.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency that verifies people’s immigration status for local officers, said the volume of calls it has received from local authorities for immigration checks and assistance had not increased from what it normally gets since the questioning requirement took effect.

In the meantime, a hotline by civil rights advocates has been fielding calls from people wanting to know their rights if questioned about their immigration status.

The advocates are asking people to document abuse and for police departments not to enforce the provision as a way to gain cooperation from immigrants in reporting crimes. But not enforcing the provision could open up officers to lawsuits from people claiming authorities are failing to comply with the law.

Arizona lawmakers passed the law in 2010 amid voter frustration with the state’s role as the busiest illegal entry point in the country. Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina and Utah have adopted variations on Arizona’s law.

Republican Gov. Jan Brewer says it will not cure the state’s immigration woes but could push the federal government to act on immigration reform.