This is in response to the recent economic boycott of Arizona by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. This article is meant to clarify misconceptions by the County Board and bring reality and truth to the matter, a reality and truth that has been ignored or disregarded by many in this debate.

I begin with a quote from Supervisor Gloria Molina as reported by the Los Angeles Times, June 2, 2010. “This law simply goes too far. A lot of people have pointed out that I am sworn as an L.A. County supervisor to uphold the Constitution. All I can say is that I believe that Arizona’s law is unconstitutional.”

I would expect from Molina, the first Latina elected to the County Board of Supervisors, a more informed statement and accurate knowledge of the subject on which she opines. The fact is simple. In March of 2005, the Supreme Court decided the case Muehler v. Mena. In that case, Mena was a suspect in a gang-related drive by shooting. Officer Muehler obtained a search warrant and the SWAT team raided a residence, where Mena was found sleeping. They handcuffed Mena, among others, and detained the suspects while the search warrant was executed. Officers also asked the immigration status of each detainee and contacted the Immigration and Naturalization Service. INS also asked detainees for their immigration documentation.

This case was taken to the Supreme Court which found, as explained in Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s Opinion of the Court, that “the officers did not need reasonable suspicion to ask Mena for her name, date and place of birth, or immigration status. Thus no additional Fourth Amendment justification for inquiring about Mena’s immigration status was required.”

Supervisor Molina makes no mention of her education in her biography featured on her own webpage. However, as I have shown, a legal background is not necessary to research the legality and Constitutionality of the Arizona Bill. As a responsible and distinguished member of the LA County Board of Supervisors, it would appear to be her duty to fully research issues before giving public statements, and, even more vital, before suggesting and voting for public policy that may affect the economic health of another State.

The United States is based on a single word, “unity.” By boycotting another State of the Union, Molina undermines the very glue that holds our country together. After making the decision to boycott Arizona, “all [she] can say is that [she] believes that Arizona’s law is unconstitutional.” It appears Supervisor Molina, and the other members, who made affirmative votes on the boycott, either do not value the authority of the Supreme Court, or simply did not research the issue fully. On one hand, her actions are in direct opposition to the Constitution she uses to defend her position; on the other, she lacks the competence to make decisions on behalf of the people she represents.

I make the call for the immediate reversal of this boycott. I ask the people of Los Angeles County, regardless of their views on immigration, to demand the reversal of this boycott. This decision was made on false pretenses, by uninformed representatives, for reasons that are legally invalid.

The Constitutionality of the Arizona Law has been deliberated by the Supreme Court, by the process outlined in our Constitution. Supervisor Molina must reaffirm her commitment to the Constitution and honor the decision of the Supreme Court and reunite Los Angeles County with the United States of America.—Phil Cucchiarelli, Lompoc

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