Setback to state-level protection for immigrants.THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS NOT LET UP its pressure on state and local governments to go after noncitizens, with one of the biggest setbacks being felt in Maine ever since Governor John Baldacci John Elias Baldacci (born January 30, 1955) is the current Governor of the U.S. State of Maine. A Democrat, he was born in Bangor, Maine, one of eight siblings in a family of Italian-Lebanese origin. gutted his state's groundbreaking executive order to limit the authority of state employees to enforce federal immigration policy An immigration policy is any policy of a state that affects the transit of persons across its borders, but especially those that intend to work and to remain in the country. . With its passage in 2004, Maine joined Oregon and Alaska, as well as numerous cities and towns with limited or non-inquiry policies protecting immigrants' access to vital services and from random inquiry into their status by local and state law enforcement. These policies have been important steps in ameliorating a national climate of fear among immigrant communities. In a report published by the Portland-based Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence, one Arab American Arab Americans are Americans of Arab ancestry and constitute an ethnicity made up of several waves of immigrants from twenty-two Arab countries, stretching from Morocco in the west to Oman in the south east to Iraq in the north. man was quoted as saying that people "will not report issues to the police even if they are the victims of a crime. They are scared of dealing with police because of the possibility it will lead to difficulties with immigration authorities immigration authorities npl → servicio sg de inmigración immigration authorities npl → service m de l'immigration and possible deportation." The gutting of the executive order, in February 2005, is a blow to immigrant communities in Maine and nationally. The order had disallowed state police from inquiring into citizenship status and set the groundwork for advocates to push non-inquiry ordinances in towns and cities. Nationally, Maine served as an example to other states. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The short-lived executive order helped to curtail racially patterned enforcement practices and soften the iron fist of federal policy. According to Beth Stickney of the Portland-based Immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. Legal Advocacy Project, this turnaround was, by and large, "a result of pushback push·back n. 1. A device or mechanism that affords movement of another object backwards: the pushback on a subway door. 2. Forced movement of troops back from the line. from the federal government, which wants states to be making immigration status inquiries." This pushback comes in concert with a nationwide push to further insert state-level agencies and law enforcement into "Homeland Security" efforts, like the impending im·pend intr.v. im·pend·ed, im·pend·ing, im·pends 1. To be about to occur: Her retirement is impending. 2. CLEAR Act, which would require state and local police to enforce immigration laws or risk being denied funding. |
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