The Rule of (International) Law and Arizona

Can Arizona escape the reach of international law? In a statement issued from Geneva, Switzerland, United Nations human rights experts questioned whether Arizona's new immigration statute -- SB 1070 -- and other recent Arizona legislation targeting ethnic studies programs are in compliance with international human rights treaties, which the United States has entered into. (Independent Human Rights Experts Speak Out Against Arizona Immigration Law, UN News Centre, May 11, 2010). These treaties outlaw racial discrimination and give people the right to knowledge about one's culture. The experts warned that SB 1070 could lead to racial profiling and that the legislation dealing with ethnic studies programs could undermine the right to learn about one's culture. The experts characterized the new Arizona legislative scheme as a "disturbing pattern of legislative activity hostile to ethnic minorities and immigrants." (Id.)