EOPY
City of Bloomington
Office of the Common Council
May 17,2010
The Honorable Jan Brewer
Governor of Arizona
1700 W. Washington
Phoenix, Anzona 85007
Dear Governor Brewer:
As elected officials of the City of Bloomington, Indiana we write to express our strong
opposition to Arizona Senate Bill 1070. When you signed this measure into law, our collective
national commitment to fairness and freedom was compromised. The measure threatens our most
basic constitutional protections while driving a wedge between law enforcement and the people
they are swom to protect.
SB 1070 essentially legalizes racial profiling and gives police little choice but to target
individuals based solely on their skin color. Without articulating clear guidelines, the vague
requirement that police detain people who they "reasonably suspect" are in the country without
authorization means that officers on the street will have to make decisions about the enforcement
of this law. Officers will almost certainly rely on factors such as skin color, accent, residence,
work place, and place of worship.
Indeed, police will likely feel pressure to make race-based arrests iri light of the fact that SB
1070 empowers anyone to sue a state agency or county, city or town official because he or she
believes the officer is not fully complying with the immigration law. This undermines public
trust and obstructs effective community policing by building a wall between local agencies and
irnmigrant cornmunities, In addition, these short-sighted changes to the law will only serve to
distract law enforcement from their vital work of pursuing violent criminals.
As you are well aware, the condemnation of your state's new law is widespread. Human and
civil rights organizations, labor groups, and local, state and federal leaders tlrroughout the
country have made clear that Arizona got it wrong. The rnayor of Phoenix, Arizona, Phil
Gordon, stated that the Arizona legislature is "out of step with the rules of basic civility."
President Barack Obama stated that the measure threatens "to undemine basic notions of
fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities
that is so crucial to keeping us safe." We join this chorus of denunciation.
401 N. Morton Street . Bloomington,lN 47404 Phone: (812) 349-3409 . Fax: (812) 349-3570
@
[Link]
e-mail: council@[Link]
Unless and until Anzonarescinds SB 1070, the City of Bloomington urges City departments:
(1) to the extent practicable, and in instances where there is no significant additional cost to the
City or conflict with law, to refrain from entering into any new or amended contracts to purchase
goods or services from any company that is headquartered in Arizona; (2) to avoid sending City
officials or employees to conferences in Arizona; and (3) to review existing contracts for the
purchase of goods and services with companies headquartered in Arizona and explore
opportunities to discontinue those contracts consistent with the terms of the contracts and the
principles of fiscal responsibility. Similarly, we encourage Bloomington-based businesses to
refrain from doing business with the State of Arizona and we encourage private residents to
avoid engaging in tourism in the State of Arizona.
Our immigration and citizenship laws define who "we" are as Americans. Any immigration
reform must balance fairness, compassion and security. Born of fear and anger, SB 1070 does
none of this. We are depending on you, as Arizona's top leader, to send a message not only to all
Arizonians, but to all Americans, that we can - and will - do better.
Sincerely,
District V Representative
y Ruff, Vice tterfield,
At-Large Representati
Tim Mayer usan Sandberg
At-Large Representa At-Large Representatrve
Dave Rol1o
District IV Representative
District
cc: Arizona Generai Assembly, Senator John McCain and Senator Jon I(yle