I've done a bit of research and many websites are spreading false statements.
That's because most people making these statements have never even read the law in it's entirety. It's based on misinformation or quote mining, not on a factual understanding of the entirety of the bill.
I am a very strong supporter of the new immigration law here in Arizona. I have been following it quite closely since it's introduction and have read through it a few times. Let me clear up a few points here.
The law will not allow officers to make a stop solely on race. They must be in the process of the commission of another offense before the issue can be breached. So this racist thing is moot. Sure, they can watch hispanics more closely to look for a reason to stop them, but there must be some other crime being committed.
It makes it illegal under state law to be in the state without proper permissions, either border crosser card, legal immigrant visa, or temporary worker permit. Also you must carry said proof of your admission to the state with you at all times. This is actually required of everyone not here as a citizen anyway. If you are a temporary worker or border crosser you already have to carry that with you.
As for racial profiling, guess what. It happens all over, all the time. The reasoning? It has been proven to statistically increase the odds of law enforcement being at the right place, with the right person, at the right time, to prevent a crime, or halt one already in progression. If you are willing to do a bit of research you will find this out.
Here are my complaints:
1. There are no 'civil rights' being violated here. There are several reasons for that. First, no one is being hurt, abused, mistreated, or neglected nor does the law provide any provisions allowing for mistreatment of anyone. Secondly, the 'civil rights' that everyone is protesting about are rights granted by the American government to American citizens. Sorry, if you aren't a citizen you don't have the right to due process, a jury of your peers, free public education, free health care, TANF, or any of the other benefits people are crying out about.
2. Please, before you decry this law as unjust, take a look at Mexico's treatment of immigrants. Look at how they treat criminals. If you want civil rights violations then look south, because Mexico is notorious for them. And then, to have Mexico's president come here to the US, call us racist and belittle us, on our own soil, and to have our president shake his hand? Baffles me. I was livid, and still am. Someone who runs a nation commonly known to commit rampant acts of violence, discrimination, abuse, neglect, and even murder against their own citizens and especially against immigrants should not be coming into our nation and telling us that making it illegal to be here illegally is in any way reprehensible. And for my president to shake his hand and support his insults of us is beyond me. I cannot ever remember an American president allow another foreign leader to come to American soil and blatantly insult us.
