Correction: In an earlier version of this story, The Daily incorrectly reported that protesters “profiled” students who were not wearing Stanford gear or red shirts. In fact, the protesters did choose students who were wearing that apparel to participate in the demonstration.
About 30 volunteers staged a demonstration yesterday afternoon in White Plaza, protesting against Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070.
Undeterred by the rain, volunteers set up aisles along the pathway through Braun Auditorium. The protestors sought to replicate the “profiling” that suspected undocumented immigrants may face as a byproduct of S.B. 1070.
Volunteers isolated students who sported Stanford gear or red shirts; these individuals were “profiled” and asked to show their student ID cards in order to prove their Stanford affiliation and pass through the aisles. Those who failed to present their IDs were subject to “interrogation” by volunteers.
AV David ‘12, one of the protestors, said S.B. 1070 would lead to cases where minorities are “profiled on how they looked.”
David said the possibility of such racial profiling “would divide people” on both a state and national level.
Though the law only has a direct legislative impact on the residents within Arizona, demonstrators said they were concerned about wide-reaching implications on immigration reform.
Signed into law in late April, the bill conferred wide-ranging powers to state and local police for immigration law enforcement. The bill’s text reads that the provisions of the bill are “to discourage and deter the unlawful entry and presence of aliens and economic activity by persons unlawfully present in the United States.”
Police are tasked with detaining and prosecuting suspected undocumented immigrants.
But protestors aren’t convinced.
“Racial profiling is wrong; we can’t judge anyone on their face, ethnicity or anything else,” David said.
The debate is set to continue at the “Bringing Home the Border” forum on Thursday in Old Union, where students are encouraged to talk about the effects of the Arizona law and general immigration reform.
“S.B. 1070 is available (PDF) online.”
— An Le Nguyen