California Immigration - The Next Legal Flash Point?

The recent Arizona immigration law has been nothing short of controversial, and many experts believe that California immigration will be the next battleground for lawmakers. Reuters reports that Latinos in California - many of them illegal residents, others not - are stepping forward to protest the Arizona law. Liberals consider tougher immigration laws to be a gateway to human rights violations, while conservatives stand fast in their position that illegal immigration has gone too far. Both groups wonder if California could be the next to crack down on illegal immigrants.

California deals with immigration in its backyard

Supporting amnesty and welcoming the flow of immigrants are California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, who live in San Francisco. Boxer has gone so far in the media as to say she'd be happy if illegal immigrants became legal via amnesty and came to live in her city. But of course, anyone with a sense for Real Estate prices knows that illegal immigrant wages can't come even close to support living in San Francisco. Therefore, you need to take Boxer's open-minded invitation with a dash of margarita salt. Issues on California immigration will most likely be among the big talks with the upcoming state elections.

State of California has the highest U.S. population, including illegal immigrants

In California, the stakes would be tremendously high if California immigration law comes into assessment. Members of the Latino community who previously avoided political involvement are making their voices heard. Jose Rodriguez of the El Concilio community center in agricultural Stockton, Calif., told Reuters that "It is a large number of young people, those under 30, who speak English but realize that it doesn't matter that they speak English. It has to do with the color of their skin."

But as David Frum, previous G.W. Bush speechwriter, points out, stopping someone on the mere basis of skin color is forbidden, as stated within the letter of the Arizona immigration law. George Will brings out a really good point in the Washington Post, saying that what remains to be seen is whether good police officers in Arizona can aid this "worthwhile experiment in federalism" by making un-bias judgments regarding immigration police force. If the experiment proves to be successful, California might determine to go in a comparable direction.

Conservatives observe a changing tide

Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, a San Diego County resident, has called the Arizona law "a fantastic beginning point," although it remains uncertain whether the upcoming California elections will take immigration as a major point of argument. Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Meg Whitman, the leading candidates in the California governor's race, agree the federal government needs to take action.

But losing Latino vote may just be the primary concern among candidates. If Arizona - which is 30 percent Hispanic by some estimates - can get a majority to agree on tough immigration law, will California follow suit? An estimated 36.6 percent of the state population, as reported by the 2008 census, was of Hispanic or Latino origin, but it is safe to assume that not every person from that minority group will be politically active in the elections in California.