Politics
Pam Bondi Backs Strong Arizona Immigration Law Under Challenge
Around the State

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and Attorney General Pam Bondi | Credit: Pete Souza - Flickr
Bondi told reporters Tuesday after the Florida Cabinet meeting that her position is a defense of states’ rights.
“Gov.ernor Jan Brewer shouldn’t have to be dealing with that in Arizona. The federal authorities should be dealing with that, but they’re not,” Bondi said. “And they’re not protecting her borders. And that’s when she came in and had to do something in her state to protect her borders.”
Bondi joined her counterparts from 15 other states in filing a friend-of-the-court, or amicus, brief in support of Arizona’s 2010 law. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette filed the initial brief.
“I’m not saying Florida is in an identical situation, but I did sign on to an amicus and I will continue to sign on to an amicus brief, when they affect states' rights,” Bondi said.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear the case on Wednesday. A ruling isn't expected until late summer.
The Obama administration has challenged Arizona's law -- which seeks to block illegal immigrants from getting jobs and to require law enforcement checks on detainees suspected of being in the country illegally -- claiming it is a flagrant overreach of the state into federal immigration laws.
Arizona has countered that the federal government’s system is broken and the border state has paid the price with a disproportionate influx of illegal immigration that has soaked up the state’s health-care and education dollars.
The ACLU of Florida was quick to criticize Bondi’s stance
“By adding her name to the Supreme Court brief, Attorney General Bondi has symbolically given the blessing of all Floridians to laws that threaten people’s rights and make law enforcement more difficult," Howard Simon, executive director of ACLU Florida, stated in a release.
“Focusing on race or national origin in policing sends a chilling message to certain groups -- in this case, Latino and Hispanic families -- that they are under increased suspicion.”
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.

Comments (10)
Excellent, Release the hounds
I think Pam Bondi does however, have support of the silent majority.
We attempt to have impartial courts in this country - to prevent the tyranny of the majority.
Seems like your Silent Majority can't stand the heat and that's your excuse for their staying out of the kitchen (e.g. not testifying before Congress or the Supreme Court on immigration).
By the way, the silent majority went out with Nixon, and we saw how well that election worked out. Vice President in jail, President caught covering up a 2nd rate burglary, violating the public's trust and forced to resign; President's men mostly in jail. He did bring us the EPA, Clean Water Act and the like (which Republicans seem to hate).
So all you "Silent Majority" types that are staying hidden, take in the fact that you're already a minority in this country, as will be the Caucasian race in a few short years. After all, since the 1500's we been an immigrant driven country and we will continue to be that in the future - get used to it, or become irrelevant.
The recent poll about the Arizona's Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, SB 1070 shows:
• 65% of voters favor the law, while 31% oppose it.
• 84% of Republicans favor Arizona’s law, while 46% of Democrats do. A 51% majority of Democrats opposes the law.
• Independents favor the law by a 40 percentage-point margin, 67% in favor, 27% in opposition.
• 72% of voters who live in the West and 69% of voters who live in the Midwest approve of the Arizona immigration law, compared to 61% of voters who live in other regions of the country.
Today the U.S. High Court will hear Arizona vs. United States and its resistance to the incredible harassment of its policing statutes by the Department of Justice. SCOTUS will either, uphold S.B 1070 for this small defenseless border state, whose deficit was a monstrous 2.7 Billion dollars in 2009 or fall fail to the incompetent DOJ. In Obama administration dispute that only the federal government, not states, has the right to set immigration policy. Saying Arizona cannot enforce immigration laws that are in conflict with federal laws. The only problem with that as most of Americans sees it, all prior administrations and Obama’s lot have dragged their feet. There are still hundreds of miles of nothing more than a few sensors and some rusty barbed wire. The President originally did set goals for the removal of foreign nationals and did so with great fervor. But later has altered his requirement with adding special preferences, allowing many illegal aliens waivers. This is not how enforcement is supposed to work, as anybody here without a current visa or just crossed the border fence illegally, should be deported?
Arizona is not the only state under considerable stress by forced unfunded mandates from the courts, which sees no problem in stealing your taxes to pay for privileged entitlements, granted to anybody who can dodge the Border Patrol or impersonate a tourist to get past the agents at customs in airline terminals. Just Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Indiana, South Carolina have had the guts to defend their state rights against the invasion, but are watching the Arizona court case with great optimism. Illegal immigration is NOT a victimless crime, as it is heavily associated with voter fraud, ID theft and has imported into this country murderers, drunk hit and runs, home invasion, child molesters, drug dealers, assaults, burglaries and other criminal acts. Our prison and detention centers are overloaded with foreign nationals, as well as our welfare system. Is it now wonder that Arizona finally had enough and enacting laws to remove the dregs that have come here? Its just poetic justice that States unchecked with illegal immigrants is now complaining, that fugitive from Arizona is fleeing to their states where they must cater to their needs.
No administration or its predecessors have secured the border fence. Both political parties have failed miserably to protect this country from the illegal alien occupation. Additionally the American voter must drive, track and use the severe pressure of their vote to verbally intimidate every Republican, Democrat and Liberal, informing them that they will unseat them. It is imperative that whatever the outcome of the Arizona court conflict, is to force passage of E-Verify. E-Verify mandated law would authenticate whether somebody can get employment or not? Other persons flagged will have the choice of clearing up their problem with the Social Security administration near them?
Voters must demand from GOP John Boehner, to stop blocking the bipartisan E-Verify “THE LEGAL WORKFORCE ACT” from being introduced in Congress by Texas Senator Lamar Smith. Taxpayers are continuously suffering at the hands of corrupt politicians who have sold us into financial slavery by allowing illegal immigration to persist almost unopposed in coming here. A second law to support The Legal Workforce Act H.R. 2885 is to amend the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2011 (H.R.140); the country cannot maintain in subsidizing billions of dollars being extracted from the 50 states? Not just the bad politicians should be thrown out of office, but state Governors, Mayors, Judges and all elected officials, and substitute them with Fresh Tea Party leaders who will insure everybody gets their fair share of the American Dream and enforce all laws attributed to the Constitution and the Rule of Law.
The consequences of pregnant females smuggled across our border, who fly in just to take advantage of the U.S. unfunded mandates laws for hospital delivery. Don’t know who to call in Washington, and then phone 202-224-3121? The switchboard will connect you with your Representative aid? Every prospective contender would be well advised to read the immigration sullen statistics advanced by “The Heritage Foundation”. According to American Federation of Immigration Reform (FAIR) there is a 2.5 Trillion dollars price tag to legitimize the 20 million plus Illegal’s who have settled here? All patriotic Americans should locate your local TEA PARTY chapter. The Tea Party is the people’s party and it welcomes every citizen and lawful resident who came to America legally. On the American Patrol website, covers the illegal alien issue, but a daily helping of the e-media from the National media, revealing everything that is against “the Rule of law’ and the sovereignty of this nation, constantly broken by Obama people.
Not that American citizens’ have any faith in what the U.S. government tells us? I, myself prefer to listen to people who live along the border region and have to deal with the drug dealers, smugglers of all type and the terrorist that mean to do us harm. WASHINGTON D.C. TELLS US WHAT THE PUBLIC WANT TO HEAR? The populace of the U.S. has been lied to so much by those empowered now, that includes both political parties. That nothing that comes out of either of their mouths is at all trustworthy? Just look at the ‘Solyndra’ and gun running scandal and the unaccountable dollars spent for leisure by General Services administration. Personally I don’t trust any of them, therefore telling us the numbers of illegal aliens entry numbers are way down, can be taken with a pinch of salt? Many foreign nationals may have left, but what about the estimated 20 million plus, still squatting here. Are we not still paying for their ‘Foothold’ baby—that’s not peanuts? Taxpayers are nothing more than ‘beasts of burden’ for the rest of the world, who are continuously asked to give more..?
Readers should type in any keyword that you desire, such as ID theft, Voter fraud, illegal alien welfare costs, Chain Migration, Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Amnesty, Sanctuary City, Birthright Citizenship, to name just a few things in Internet search engines and you will be physically sick of the cover-ups the Left and Democrats keep out of the public eye.
If the High Court grants approval to Arizona in enforcing its policing statutes, then California better have control posts on their state border? As hundreds of thousand or even millions of illegal aliens are going to be fleeing to other states and not just to adjoining states, but any state that is pampering illegal aliens. I don't want my taxes paying for illegal alien welfare anymore, that’s why I joined the Monolithic TEA PARTY.
Perhaps everyone should just get kicked out that can't prove their parents were native born residents of pre-Columbian North America.
Oh, but that means you're an illegal immigrant too - nor do I believe that you can provide legal papers proving that native Americans allowed your ancestors legal immigration to these lands (or Woodhills, California), can you?
When AZ passed e-verify 30% of the illegal alien population self deported out of AZ........If we had the same results in FL we would see over 300K illegal aliens self deport dramatically reducing the $5.5 Billion it currently costs Floridian Taxpayers to educate, medicate and incarcerate them.
A position only a Governor George Wallace could appreciate. So in light of this new legal interpretation, Florida will be able to justify:
(1) Forming its own army and navy, declaring war and invading Cuba.
(2) Determining that federal lands are not being effectively used and developing Everglades National Park as a gigantic strip mall
(3) Legislatively repealing Obamacare and replacing it with Scottcare where only the rich deserve and get free medical care
(4) Eliminating all income tax collection within the state, and replacing it with strong-armed JD Alexander "donations" from the middle and low income families of the state.
I think you get the picture - this is a STUPID position to take. Once the Supreme Court throws this out, Ms. Bondi needs to resign her Attorney General position for having violated her oath of office, unless of course her intent is that she actually wants to try and secede and fight a 2nd losing Civil War.
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