What is wrong with Congressman Raul Grijalva? Earlier this week he threatened ‘economic sanctions’ against Arizona if Governor Jan Brewer signs the controversial illegal immigration bill.
He delivered his threat after the Arizona legislature passed SB 1070, which would require law enforcement to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to believe they may be in the country illegally. (Under current law, officers may inquire about an individual’s immigration status only if the person is a suspect of another crime.)
“We are going to be urging national organizations — religious, civic, labor, Latino, of color — to refrain from spending their dollars on conventions and in national activities in the state of Arizona,” Rep. Grijalva warned. “There have to be hard economic sanctions for this.”
True, the proposed changes to the existing law expands opportunities for abuse and racial profiling. Or as the New York Times concludes, “if you are brown-skinned and leave home without a wallet, you are in trouble.”
Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
But what kind of misguided representative issues an economic fatwa against his own constituents? For that matter, has Rep. Grijalva ever called for similar isolation and sanctions against our nation’s declared enemies? If he thinks the Arizona legislature has a disregard for civil rights, he may want to google how Iran treats homosexuals.
Perhaps this is a flawed bill that places too much trust in our capacity for restraint. But Rep. Grijalva and the Democrats in Washington must counter with an effective solution to a problem that is not going to disappear on its own. Many Arizonans are favoring SB 1070 because no previous measure has effectively prevented the homicides, drug trafficing, kidnapping and identity theft crimes that are attributable to illegal immigration.
It is amusing that the GOP is labeled the “Party of No” while Rep. Grijalva and a number of Democrats continue to obstruct efforts to fix our border problem. In March, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano cut funding for the virtual border fence. And last week, Rep. Grijalva blasted Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ plan to rebuild a border fence in Nogales. Rep. Grijalva dismissed it as a ‘political response.’
Failure to address the border might just create a ‘political response’ in November…
Neil Rosekrans is a founder and partner of StateBrief.com. He has been a guest political commentator for the Arizona Law Channel, NBC's Sunday Square Off and The Terry Gilberg Show on KFYI. Neil earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and earned his MBA and Masters in Public Policy, with an emphasis in International Relations, from Pepperdine University.
Neil and his wife, Beth, live in Scottsdale, Arizona. 
Even though I strongly disagree with Congressman Raul Grijalva, I support his right to stand in opposition.
On the other hand, Rachel Sacco of the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau has acted beyond her purview. She is urging everyone to contact Governor Brewer and request a veto for SB1070. The SCVB is a tax-funded organization. Sacco is using her position to further a personal agenda. Immigration policy should pass or fail on its own merits. We should never acquiesce to threats. This response would invite more threats and exacerbate the problem.