ACLU Putting Arizona Law Enforcement On Notice
The ACLU has put Arizona law enforcement agencies on notice after the South Tucson Police Department detained a DREAMer because he is hispanic. This violated the state’s implementation of the “show me your papers” law that was enacted 3 years ago. Alex Valenzuela, 23, was a passenger in a parked car on July 13 when South Tucson police officers detained him in order to question him about his citizenship. Even though he provided multiple forms of identification and had not committed any crime, the officers unlawfully arrested and drove Alex to Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector headquarters where he was detained for an additional five hours. “It didn’t matter to the officers that I hadn’t committed a crime,” Alex said. “This is what happens when you let police act like immigration officials and it’s another example of why the police have lost the community’s trust.” The South Tucson police detained Alex for no reason other than to investigate his citizenship and immigration status. Because of this and other similar events, the ACLU wants the state’s law enforcement agencies to know they are watching closely for any unnecessary actions taken. About Maria Jones Law Firm Maria Jones Law Firm focuses on U.S. Immigration Law pertaining to Family Immigration, Removal Defense and Criminal Defense. The firm assists clients with their immigration needs, in Arizona and in every continent of the globe. Founder and lead attorney, Maria Jones, is an immigrant herself, having come to the United States from Russia at the age of 21. She is admitted to practice U.S. Immigration Law in all 50 states. Attorney Jones identifies with, and has a profound respect for, each of her clients as they struggle to reunify with family members, or fulfill a long-held desire to live in the United States of America.