In an effort to divide the working class as the economic crisis drags
on, many state legislatures are set to consider draconian anti-immigrant
laws when they reconvene in January. Efforts to emulate Arizona’s
infamous SB1070 are expected in at least six states.
In addition
to laws that encourage racial profiling, many states are considering
revoking the citizenship rights of the children of undocumented workers.
Daryl Metcalfe, the pre-eminent racist in the Pennsylvania House of
Representatives, stated that this would eliminate “anchor baby status,
in which an illegal alien invader comes into our country and has a child
on our soil.” (New York Times, Dec. 31) Such measures blatantly violate
basic civil rights and Article 14 of the U.S. Constitution.
At a
time when poor and working people are under increasing assault, all
oppressed people need to stand together and fight back against
capitalist attacks. The struggle for full rights for all immigrants is
the struggle of the entire working class.
