Broken Promises
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
This is an excerpt from the sonnet by Emma Lazarus, New Colossus, which is located
on the pedestal where the Statue of Liberty now stands. It is an invitation for all immigrants to
come through the “Golden Door” and receive America’s promise of freedom and liberty from
oppression of their native countries. However, now immigrants are faced with laws restricting
what they may do or even prohibiting them from establishing a “new life” in the United States.
For example, the newly established law in Arizona, Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe
Neighborhoods Act, or most famously known as Senate Bill 1070 has raised much controversy.
Senate Bill 1070 was signed on April 2010 by Arizona’s Governor Jan Brewer. The bill
made it a crime to be an “alien” in the state without proper identification. It also enforces strict
penalties for those who shelter, hire, or transport illegal immigrants (”American”). However,
after going to the Supreme Court, one of its most controversial clauses survived the ruling. This
clause or provision allows law enforcement officers to stop and ask for identification if they
have a “reasonable suspicion”. Many believe "reasonable suspicion" may lead to officers racial
profiling. Because of this, the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act must be
In its entirety, the proposal had four clauses which made it a crime for immigrants to:
apply for a job or have a job, fail to register with the federal government, not have registration
documents in their possessions at all times, and if a law enforcement officer has reasonable
suspicion, they want to stop someone— they can (“Small Victories”).
In court, all those clauses were all removed, except the clause that allows
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
This is an excerpt from the sonnet by Emma Lazarus, New Colossus, which is located
on the pedestal where the Statue of Liberty now stands. It is an invitation for all immigrants to
come through the “Golden Door” and receive America’s promise of freedom and liberty from
oppression of their native countries. However, now immigrants are faced with laws restricting
what they may do or even prohibiting them from establishing a “new life” in the United States.
For example, the newly established law in Arizona, Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe
Neighborhoods Act, or most famously known as Senate Bill 1070 has raised much controversy.
Senate Bill 1070 was signed on April 2010 by Arizona’s Governor Jan Brewer. The bill
made it a crime to be an “alien” in the state without proper identification. It also enforces strict
penalties for those who shelter, hire, or transport illegal immigrants (”American”). However,
after going to the Supreme Court, one of its most controversial clauses survived the ruling. This
clause or provision allows law enforcement officers to stop and ask for identification if they
have a “reasonable suspicion”. Many believe "reasonable suspicion" may lead to officers racial
profiling. Because of this, the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act must be
In its entirety, the proposal had four clauses which made it a crime for immigrants to:
apply for a job or have a job, fail to register with the federal government, not have registration
documents in their possessions at all times, and if a law enforcement officer has reasonable
suspicion, they want to stop someone— they can (“Small Victories”).
In court, all those clauses were all removed, except the clause that allows