The Flagstaff city council is deciding to pursue legal action as a result of the recent SB170 immigration bill signed into law. The council held a public discussion in which citizens expressed unanimous support to file an injunction against the state. Speakers voiced concern that the bill creates a precedence that violates civil and human rights.

Scott Overton was the only council member absent from the meeting. No person in attendance spoke in favor of SB1070.

Councilmember Coral Evans stated the law is unconstitutional. She referenced the Preamble, which guarantees domestic tranquility and general welfare for everyone within jurisdiction.

“It doesn’t say anything about citizens,” Evans said. “It says we are going to do that for the people who live here.”

She also said it wrongfully criminalizes immigration, creating a negative relationship with law enforcement agencies. “I think people are now gonna be afraid to interact with police and call in a crime,” she said.

Several people echoed the sentiment that the law will make it possible for innocent people to be suspected as criminals.

Rom Coles, Director of McAllister chair on the NAU program in Community, Culture and Environment, called on people to stand up for the immigrants in the community.

“This opens a door to vilification of people who are not villains,” Coles said. “Most of us here are friends with, collaborators with, work with, and are forming communities with the people who are being criminalized. We will harbor, protect, conspire with, collaborate with, and we will become criminals with and for these people.”

The bill was passed in attempt by the state to step up efforts to curtail border violence. But the citizens at Tuesday night’s discussion claimed the law blurs the distinction between immigrants and crime.

Miguel Vasquez spoke to the council and stressed immigrants and criminals are not the same.

“It’s becoming very, very irritating to me that every time Governor Brewer speaks about this, she immediately conflates immigrants with drug dealers and drug cartels,” Vasquez said.

According to the bill, one provision of enforcement of the law “requires a reasonable attempt to be made to determine the immigration status of a person during any legitimate contact made by an official or agency of the state or a county, city, town or political subdivision if reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the U.S.”

One of the biggest concerns is the officer’s discretion of what is a “reasonable suspicion” for suspecting someone’s legal status.

Peggy Sheldon-Scurlock is a volunteer with Flagstaff New Day Peace Center.

“There is no such thing as reasonable suspicion,” Sheldon-Scurlock said. “You will not be able to look at people and be able to tell who is illegal and who is not.”

Sarah Presler agreed with the arguments of the public and said it will be important to stand together as a community. “My serious concern lies in three areas — with victims of crimes, with witnesses to crimes, and to the constitutionality and legality and risk both to implement these laws and to defend these laws.”

The council ended the discussion with an agreement to make the issue a standing agenda item in weekly meetings where they will work out options until the solution is found.

Presler also advocated federal immigration reform.

“We call upon the president and the U.S. Congress to implement immigration reform,” Presler said. “And if you need our help we are here to help you.”