By Tom Turnipseed The South Carolina Legislature is considering
an anti-immigrant bill much like Arizona’s draconian law. It
requires police to check a person’s residency status when
stopped or detained for any reason and makes it a crime for
illegal immigrants to solicit work. Opponents of the bill say it
would lead to racial profiling, marginalize the state’s Hispanic
community and polarize the state. On May 28, people who oppose
the bill dominated public comment before a Senate Judiciary
subcommittee claiming it was un-American and racist. Bill Bunch,
a small-business owner said “It smacks of racism and it smacks
of pandering. You’re using these people as pawns for your own
political gain.” I serve on the Board of the S.C. Hispanic
Leadership Council. Our Board President, Lad Santiago, told the
legislators, “It polarizes our community by allowing for overt
distinction of physical attributes and a law that allows this is
an affront to all that is fair and just in America.” Exactly
what is fair and just in t