By Patricia Zapor
Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Arizona’s three bishops and Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony have joined those urging Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer to veto legislation that the cardinal called “the country’s most retrogressive, mean-spirited and useless anti-immigrant law.”

The Arizona Legislature on April 19 sent Brewer a bill that would require police to ask people they encounter in routine activities for immigration documents. It also would, in Arizona at least, make it a crime to be in the country illegally. Federal law considers that a violation of civil codes, not a crime.

The bishops joined in a letter from a dozen religious leaders urging Brewer to veto the bill that they said “may actually scare off potential employers and employees looking to come to Arizona,” and threaten public safety by making immigrants afraid to have contact with police, even to report crimes.

It was signed by Bishops Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix and James S. Wall of Gallup, N.M., whose diocese includes parts of northern Arizona, as well as the Rev. Jan Olav Flaaten, a Lutheran minister who is executive director of the Arizona Ecumenical Council. Also signing the letter were leaders of Arizona Presbyterian, Episcopal, Disciples of Christ, United Church of Christ, Methodist and Jewish organizations.

Brewer had five days to sign or veto the bill. As of April 21 she had not tipped her hand as to her intentions but said April 19 that she had concerns about the bill. She did not elaborate but said she would review the legislation and seek advice about its constitutionality and other aspects, Arizona newspapers reported.

In their letter, the clergy told Brewer they were concerned the bill “could make felons, not only out of dangerous criminals (as is warranted), but also the many undocumented immigrants who have come to this country at a very young age and have no familiarity with any other country but the United States. We are concerned for these children and for families that may have a mother and a father, one of whom is a citizen and the other of whom would now be considered a criminal.”

The letter acknowledged that “a veto of this bill would require great political courage on your part. We want you to know, however, that we are willing to stand behind you in taking such an action, so that our state is better served.”

Under the headline “Arizona’s dreadful anti-immigrant law,” Cardinal Mahony wrote on his blog April 18 that “the tragedy of the law is its totally flawed reasoning: that immigrants come to our country to rob, plunder and consume public resources. That is not only false, the premise is nonsense.”

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