My Letter to Arizona Governor Brewer Regarding Pending Immigration Legislation

Dear Governor Brewer:

Before going into ordained ministry as a Lutheran pastor, I was an Arizona DPS officer for nearly 7 years (1991-98) stationed in Yuma and in Tucson. I am also a 3rd generation Arizona native and my parents still live in Arizona.

I know that immigration is a hot topic right now and that there is a bill for you to sign regarding increased local enforcement. Although I know law enforcement has changed in 12 years, I would like to share one of my experiences.

For brevity, I will not go into the details, but it was a death notification situation where one sister was born a U.S. citizen and the other was not and was here illegally. When the husband of the illegal sister died in an automobile collision, she was afraid to even claim her husband's body or talk to us because she was afraid that she would be deported and separated from her children. She had a job and home as did her husband. I believe she was using her sister's social security number (without her knowledge) and was not using public aid for fear, of course, of being deported. It was not until we were able to talk to the legal sister that we were able to determine why the illegal sister was afraid of us. This happened in the mid 1990s. How much more complicated and less humane would this scenario have been if state law enforcement officers had to enforce immigrations laws in this situation that basically makes it illegal for this woman to breathe air on this side of the border?

I know that much of the law enforcement community is pushing for passage of this bill; I know the recent and tragic murder of a local rancher along the border have passions enraged; and, I know that the state is financially crippled and the illegal immigration has become completely out of control. However, I fear that in our passion for safety and security we are not seeing the complications and abuses that such responsibilities and power thrust upon our local law enforcement agencies will create.

As a fellow Republican who is a member of the party born out of standing up for those who are oppressed, as a native of Arizona that is a state with a great diversity of terrains, cultures and peoples and as a Christian minister who is captive to the Word of God that tells us aliens and foreigners should be treated as citizens among us, I implore you to veto this bill.

I know that it will bring heavy criticism upon you and that it may cost you the Governor's office in the next election; however, it is the right thing to do. Although the motives of those promoting this bill may be good, the bill itself is not and will lead to more suffering and ultimately more opportunities for violent and organized criminals to use poor and desperate families on both sides of the border as human camouflage for their illegal and violent activities.

I will be praying for you as you bear the weight of this great responsibility. Thank you for your public service to the People of the Great State of Arizona. God's guidance and blessing be with you.

Sincerely,

Rev. Robert Lee Bennight