Community Foundation Issues Statement On U.S. Supreme Court Decision On Arizona v. United States

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Jun 26, 2012, 02:35 ET

LOS ANGELES, June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- California Community Foundation (CCF) in Los Angeles today released this statement on the Supreme Court of the United States' ruling on the legality of Arizona's SB 1070 law:

In striking down 3 out of 4 provisions of Arizona's anti-immigrant legislation, the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that a state may not take the law into its own hands to solve a national and international issue. Unfortunately, the Court upheld the so-called "show me your papers" provision which MANDATES that police check the immigrant status of a person they suspect may be unlawfully in the country when they detain that person on other grounds. Even so, the Court recognized the incentive for racial profiling and called upon Arizona to develop strict guidelines and training.

"We in Los Angeles are extremely fortunate that local law enforcement and government understand that the profiling of immigrants is bad policy – from the point of view of public safety and civic cohesion," said Antonia Hernandez, President and CEO of L.A.'s foundation, the California Community Foundation (CCF).

"California Community Foundation is proud that public, private and nonprofit institutions throughout Los Angeles and Southern California stood united in opposition to Arizona's SB 1070 and as a result have helped stop the spread of these laws to other parts of the country.

"We hope to continue this legacy of inclusion which recognizes the positive role immigrants have played over many years in Los Angeles. More than one in three people who live and work among us are immigrants, and immigrants of all backgrounds are contributing daily to the unique character and vitality of Southern California, as they have for generations. In fact, immigrants are more likely than non-immigrants in L.A. to create their own jobs and businesses, enriching and investing in our creative, educational, health care, scientific, business, nonprofit and other communities."

California Community Foundation (CCF) is a public, charitable organization serving communities of Los Angeles County in multiple capacities since 1915 and dedicated to effective philanthropy, grantmaking in five core programs and numerous initiatives, and civic engagement in such areas as immigrant integration. For more information, visit www.calfund.org.

Contact: Raul Garza
Phone: (213) 413-4130 ext 229
E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE California Community Foundation