On today, June 25, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court struck three provisions of Arizona’s draconian anti-immigrant law, but permitted enactment of the controversial “show me your papers” provision. The “show me your papers” provision requires local police to determine the immigration status of someone arrested or detained when there is a “reasonable suspicion” a person is in the United States illegally. This provision will undoubtedly will lead to racial profiling and discrimination.

The ACLU of Colorado is, however, heartened by the fact that the Court invalidated most of the law’s provision stating that Arizona had overstepped its authority. Colorado, thankfully, is not Arizona. “We’ve seen the corrosive effects that laws like S.B. 1070 have on a community. Colorado understands how laws like the Arizona law harm business, undermine police work, and threaten our most basic American values. Anti-immigrant laws modeled after Arizona’s SB 1070 are proving to be a failed experiment that we must not repeat in any other state, especially Colorado,” said Denise Maes, ACLU of Colorado Public Policy Director.

The Court permitted one of the most controversial parts of S.B. 1070, the so-called “show me your papers” provision, to move forward, but the Court stated that until it is actually implemented and enforced, it is unclear whether the provision is constitutional. Therefore, the provision remains subject to challenge.

“There is no way for this provision to be enacted without racial profiling. The provision basically says that if, for whatever reason, your last name, color of your skin or your accent allows you to be perceived as ‘foreign,’ you’re vulnerable to being stopped,” said ACLU National Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. “That’s not an America we want to live in.”

The ACLU case challenging the Arizona law was stayed pending resolution of the United States case challenging the law.

“Show me your papers” laws exact a heavy financial toll. Alabama’s state economy has taken a multi-billion dollar hit as a result of its law. Arizona saw a drop in sales tax revenue and a jump in the unemployment rate when S.B. 1070 was enacted in 2010. Farmers have seen their crops rot and are planting less because the workers they have relied on for decades have fled in fear.

There are over 400,000 foreign-born immigrants living in Colorado and the data shows that over the course of a lifetime, immigrants – whether documented or not – pay more in taxes than they take in government services. They represent almost 12 percent of the Colorado workforce and immigrant-owned small businesses bring almost $700 million a year to Colorado. The Supreme Court decision clearly tells Colorado and other states that laws like S.B. 1070 are to be avoided.

Anti-immigrant laws are costly at so many levels. They drain resources from county sheriffs and local police departments who do not want the burden of serving as immigration agents while also trying to protect their communities. Immigration checks poison efforts to foster trust and cooperation within all communities. These laws encourage racial profiling, undermine local law enforcement and sow a climate of fear that pits neighbor against neighbor.

Update:  The Summer Without Police Violence rally was postponed in deference to the memorial service for fallen Denver Police Department Officer Celina Hollis.

By Rosalie Wilmot

Just days after the death of police brutality icon Rodney King, it’s important to remember that America is still steeped in a culture of police violence which threatens public safety and the very lives of people in our own communities.

On June 30, at noon, the ACLU of Colorado and its Race to Justice Coalition invite you to join in the rally: “A Summer Without Police Violence,” remembering those who have been victims of injustice at the hands of police and reminding law enforcement that there are activists watching them.

Each summer, as the hot months approach, we hold our breath; we hope that something, anything, even our advancements in technology, will result in less police brutality and violence. After all, wasn’t it technology that compelled our attention to the beating of Rodney King? Didn’t we pay attention because a witness captured that brutal beating on a video camera enshrining that moment for all time?

On June 30, 2011, the R2J Coalition, along with family members directly affected by police violence, clergy, racial justice activists, performers and others, will gather at the Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center to put law enforcement on notice: No brutality in Denver this summer.

Sadly, the history of summer police violence in our city reads like a roll call of injustice.

    -- On July 5, 2003, 15-year-old Paul Childs was shot by Officer James Turney in a confrontation outside Child’s home. Though Childs was mentally disabled and may have been unable to comprehend the cops’ orders, the district attorney did not pursue charges though Childs was the second disabled teen Turney had shot in 18 months. Instead, Turney was given a 10-month suspension and the city paid Child’s family a $1.3 million settlement.

    -- Fast-forward to May 2, 2009. Three officers beat 19-year-old Alex Landau into unconsciousness after he asked whether they needed a warrant to search his car. His injuries included a broken nose, a concussion and wounds that required 45 stitches. In photos, his facial features are completely unrecognizable. Still, none of the officers involved faced discipline from the city and two assaulted other people in the same year. The case was settled when the City Council agreed to pay Landau $795,000. Yet again, despite large payouts, there was no change.

     -- In the summer of 2009, there were also brutal acts at the downtown Denver Diner. One of the same officers involved in the beating of Landau was involved in this one, too. Videotapes show several women being pushed and pepper-sprayed after they had been handcuffed. The Civil Service Commission decided the offenses didn’t merit removable from the force. The women’s’ attackers could return to the streets.

    -- Rev. Marvin Booker’s death on July 9, 2010 was ruled a homicide and yet no punishment was ruled necessary for the five deputies by whose hands he died. He was beaten and Tasered in the Denver jail after refusing to sit down for booking on charges of failure to appear in court on drug paraphernalia charges. Denver’s Manager of Safety cleared the five deputies, finding that they didn’t violate the department’s use-of-force policy. Activists and Booker family members gathered a year later at the jail to commemorate his memory and demand action from newly-elected mayor Michael Hancock.

These acts of brutality are not only harrowing for the families of the victims, but also to those of us who live here and support police departments with our tax dollars.

We expect that our leaders and public officials will ensure a safe city where police use force responsibly -- and only when necessary to protect the public. When cops use slurs and excessive force, we don’t have a safe city. When African American men are targeted, we don’t have a safe city. When women, immigrants and disabled people are targeted, we don’t have a safe city. When Tasers are used in ways that make them deadly and lethal weapons, we’re not safe.

For me as a young person -- for all of us -- seeing a police officer should signal security and safety, not tension and fear.

That’s why I’ll be at the jail for the Summer Without Police Violence rally June 30. Please join us in exercising our civil rights and calling on the city of Denver to reform this system. The gathering will involve petition signing and voter registration as well as a true demonstration of solidarity.

The ACLU of Colorado Race to Justice Coalition says police brutality is killing us.

Let’s come together to end it.

Wilmot, a 2012 gradutate of the University of Denver, is a Media Intern at the ACLU of Colorado.

Each year, the ACLU of Colorado gets scores of applications from talented students wanting to work as legal interns, media interns and fellows over the summer in our affilliate office in Denver. This year, we've selected a particularly talented and energetic group of future legal eagles and civil rights activists. Meet our summer 2012 interns and fellows:

Elliot Mamet, Colorado College Public Interest Fellow

Elliot will be entering his sophomore year at Colorado College, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he is majoring in political science. At CC, Elliot is the Constitutional Vice President for student government and is an executive committee member of Honor Council. He is a peer writing tutor at the writing center, a residential advisor, and will begin as an admissions tour guide in the fall. Elliot is an avid debater and the 2011 NFL national champion in congressional debate. A graduate of Denver East High School, Elliot is interested in public interest law and civil rights law and hopes to attend law school. For fun, Elliot loves to play golf and tennis and explore different parts of Denver.

Rachel Milos, Legal Intern

Rachel Milos will be entering her 3L year at DePaul University College of Law, in Chicago, Illinois. At DePaul, Rachel has published an article for DePaul’s Journal for Social Justice and works as both a research assistant and a teaching assistant. A native of Elmhurst, IL, Rachel received a B.A. in French Literature and Language, and a Masters in Education and Social Policy, both from Northwestern University. Rachel was previously a program director at the Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation, and a classroom teacher who helped to start Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts in Thornton, Colorado. Her dream job is working at a nonprofit on poverty law issues concerning women and children. Rachel loves to run, hike, ski, read, travel as much as possible, play Frisbee with her dog, and chase around her two-year-old nephew, Danny.

Lisa Napper, Media Intern

Lisa Napper is a rising senior at Rangeview High School, in Aurora, Colorado. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, Lisa moved to Colorado and has been raised in Aurora. Lisa is a part of the Galaxy Initiative, which focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. She is president of the Diversity Student Alliance, a student trainer for No Place for Hate, and the secretary of M.E.S.A. Additionally, Lisa is involved in National Honor Society, Sisters Involved in the Community, and Advanced Performing Arts. Interested in a career in environmental engineering and public health, she is working at the ACLU this summer to gain experience in positive publicity directed at change. Lisa has a very busy summer ahead: she is taking a college class in mythology, and attending leadership conferences in Denver, Fort Collins, Bloomington Illinois, and Houston Texas.

Lisa Faye Petak, Legal Intern

Lisa Faye Petak will be entering her 2L year at the University of California, Irvine School of Law in Orange County, California. At UC Irvine, Lisa chairs of the Student Bar Association, directs The Vagina Monologues, serves on the Executive Board of the Women’s Law Society, and works as a research assistant. A Colorado native, Lisa grew up in Littleton before flitting eastward for a B.A. in Political Science/Literature at American University in Washington, DC, and then a M.A. in the Humanities from the University of Chicago. Previously Lisa worked as a reproductive rights counselor for the National Abortion Federation and as a research assistant for the New York Times. One goal of hers is to rid the world of sexism, racism, classism, and every other –ism as a civil rights litigator, preferably while fighting for reproductive choice and gender equality. For fun, you can find Lisa ice skating or curled up with the latest subversive contemporary fiction.

Marc Sallinger, Media Intern

Marc Sallinger is a rising senior at Mullen High School, in Denver, Colorado. A new media whiz, Marc is interested in all things journalism, and in particular, how organizations like the ACLU of Colorado use social media to affect change. He is editor of Mullen Media, Mullen’s online newspaper, and plays soccer competitively for Colorado Rush. Additionally, Marc is president of the National Honor Society at Mullen. Besides working at the ACLU this summer, Marc is writing for the Stapleton Front Porch Newspaper and interning in the campaign office of Congressman Ed Perlmutter. On top of that, he will be travelling to Spain with his family for July and stopping by the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Tanika Vigil, Legal Intern

Tanika Vigil will be entering her 2L year at Harvard Law School, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Tanika is the Project Director for the Harvard Immigration Project’s Bond Hearing Project that represents detained immigrants in their Immigration Court bond hearings. This fall, she will be starting work with the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, providing pro bono legal services to low income families. A Boulder native, Tanika received a B.A. from Amherst College. Previously, Tanika worked for an immigration attorney in Boulder, and worked for Amigos de las Americas in Boaco, Nicaragua. Her passion is for immigration law and the first amendment, and she’d love to work on issues that affect the immigrant community. Tanika loves to play soccer and travel. After completing her internship this summer, she will visit an Achuar tribe in Ecuador to learn about sustainability.

Rosalie Wilmot, Media Intern

Rosalie Wilmot just graduated from the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado, with degrees in English and International Studies. Rosalie served as president of New Era Colorado’s DU chapter, working to engage young people in the political process. Additionally, Rosalie has served as a summer fellow on the Washington Bus. Her passion is for communicating complex issues to the public, and she hopes to land a career in international correspondence or public radio. One highlight of her pre-ACLU life was standing under Sipi Falls in Eastern Uganda. Besides working at the ACLU this summer, you can find Rosalie serving drinks as a barista at Dazbog Coffee.