In Response to Arizona’s Immigration Law (SB 1070), the HBA-NJ Calls For a Boycott of Conferences and Conventions to the State of Arizona
For Immediate Release: May 6, 2010
The Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey (HBA-NJ) is outraged by the State of Arizona’s recently enacted law, which permits the indiscriminate stopping/questioning of individuals to ascertain their immigration status. In response, the HBA-NJ joins the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) and other national, state, and local organizations in calling for an economic boycott, including a boycott of conferences and conventions scheduled to take place in Arizona.The HBA-NJ calls upon the American Bar Association (ABA), state and local bar associations, legal defense funds, civil rights groups and all other grassroots organizations across the Country to join in on a national boycott of Arizona. This would discourage other States that are contemplating following Arizona’s lead.
Arizona’s Immigration Law (SB 1070) expands the law of trespass in the State and creates the legal premise necessary to indiscriminately stop and question individuals about their immigration status. This law is one of the most intrusive state initiatives seeking to usurp federal power in the area of immigration and it is fundamentally un-American in its requirement that individuals carry proof of citizenship to avoid detention.
Miguel Alexander Pozo, HBA-NJ President, explained that “in our view, the State of Arizona has embarked upon a path of deputizing its State and local law enforcement personnel to enforce federal immigration law in a way that would target the State’s residents and visitors for unlawful racial profiling.” Mr. Pozo further stated that “the persons who will be subject to the worst features of this unfettered discretion are those who are of Hispanic descent.”
The HBA-NJ joins organizations including the National Council of La Raza, the HNBA, Asian American Justice Center, the Center for Community Change, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the National Puerto Rican Coalition, the Service Employees International Union, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, to name a few, in calling for a boycott of all conferences and conventions to the State of Arizona.
Separately, the HBA-NJ has called upon the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA), the oldest and largest bar association in New Jersey, to consider moving its mid-year convention, currently scheduled to take place in Scottsdale, Arizona from November 2-7, 2010, to another venue outside of Arizona.
In a letter to the NJSBA, Mr. Pozo stressed that, “similar economic measures forced Arizona to reverse its stance against recognizing the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, years ago.” The lessons of that successful boycott could serve as an example today.
The HBA-NJ also urges President Barack Obama and the Congress to pass comprehensive immigration legislation to resolve this issue finally, so that the Federal government preempts States, like Arizona, from engaging in further discriminatory and divisive actions that threaten to destroy the fabric of our great Nation.
