She was for reform, but against 1070. At least that's what I have read in several places.
http://giffords.house.gov/2010/07/us-rep-gabrielle-giffords-statement-on-the-federal-challenge-to-arizonas-immigration-law.shtmlI am disappointed with the federal lawsuit against SB 1070 for the same reason I was disappointed when this bill became law: Neither will do anything to make Arizona’s border communities more secure.
Both the law and the lawsuit challenging the law are unnecessary distractions. Arizonans want our nation to control its borders and bring a halt to the violence, smugglers and drugs that threaten our way of life.
To fully appreciate the seriousness of what Arizonans are up against, President Obama should come to the border. The president should spend an afternoon with the ranchers of Cochise County and the retirees of Green Valley so he can see for himself that what we need are Border Patrol agents on the border, not lawyers in court.
Federal lawyers arguing with state lawyers will do nothing to strengthen border security or to fix our broken immigration laws.
The supreme irony of the lawsuit is its premise that SB 1070 intrudes on the federal government’s responsibility to enforce immigration laws. Had the federal government taken that responsibility seriously in the past, neither today’s lawsuit nor the state law that prompted it would be necessary.
I am pleased that Attorney General Eric Holder has acknowledged Arizonans’ frustrations with illegal immigration. But addressing our concerns means the federal government must do its job and secure our border with Mexico.
http://giffords.house.gov/2010/04/us-rep-gabrielle-giffords-statement-on-arizonas-new-immigration-law-and-the-need-to-secure-our-borde.shtmlArizona is now known around the world for enacting an extreme immigration law in response to the federal government’s failure to act. This law does nothing to secure our border. My hope is that the events that have unfolded in Phoenix recently are a wake-up call to Washington politicians who for too long have refused to take seriously their responsibility to address the crisis on our border.
The people of Arizona are angry and so am I. Southern Arizona, in particular, has paid a heavy price because of drug smuggling and illegal immigration. But even with the changes enacted by the Legislature Thursday night, this law will do nothing to make the communities I represent safer from smugglers and the dangerous spill-over effects of border violence.
In the face of mounting criticism – including serious questions raised by prominent Republicans such as Jeb Bush, Lindsey Graham and Tom Tancredo – the Legislature hastily modified some aspects of the bill that Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law last week. These changes, however, fail to address the concerns of local law enforcement officials about the cost and practicality of enforcing this policy. The changes also do nothing to address the concerns that the law could jeopardize the rights of American citizens. In addition, the potentially devastating impact this law could have on Arizona’s economy just as we are beginning to emerge from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression is a reality that must be avoided at all costs.
Passage of this law is a stark reminder that securing our border is a responsibility that the federal government must confront with the full extent of its resources.
(more at link, including actions she calls for)