Pressure needed to dump anti-immigrant Prop. 187

By Evelina Alarcon

LOS ANGELES - The fate of anti-immigrant Proposition 187, which was passed by California voters in 1994 is now in the hands of Gov. Gray Davis.

The new Democratic governor must decide within the next couple of weeks whether to pursue an appeal of the court decision which voided most provisions of 187.

The appeal, made originally by former Republican Gov. Pete Wilson on behalf of the people of California, would challenge the decision of Judge Mariana Pfaelzer who ruled over a year ago that provisions in Prop. 187, which denied health care and public education to undocumented immigrants are unconstitutional.

Judge Pfaelzer also blocked the part of 187 which directed local law enforcement officers, teachers, state health and welfare administrators to turn in suspected undocumented immigrants.

A decision by Davis to drop the appeal would likely be the end of Prop. 187. A decision to continue would send the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The immediate danger is that Davis, who was opposed to Prop. 187 at the time it passed, has now become undecided about what to do with the appeal. While Davis announced that he had not made up his mind, he also stated that 187's legality should be considered by the U.S. Supreme Court.

This stance calls for massive public pressure on the governor to drop the appeal. Davis' pledge as a candidate to end the policies of division in California greatly contributed to his win last November.

His victory inspired hope in millions in California that the Wilson era of hate policies could be reversed. To continue the appeal of the court decision against 187 will only inflame the anti-immigrant fires and diminish the unity process which has grown in California since the election victory.

We need to remind Davis that the inhuman, anti-immigrant Prop. 187 was an integral part of the Republican ultra-right agenda - an agenda that led to the passage in California of anti-affirmative action Prop. 209 and anti-bilingual education Prop. 227. It led to the passage by Congress of a repressive, fascist-like immigration bill which continues to victimize immigrants while denying them basic legal rights.

Prop. 187 is the most vicious anti-immigrant law today. It is extreme ultra right policy which targets women and children first.

The worst fascistic elements of our country gave birth to this measure with the aim of dehumanizing immigrants and blaming them for the crisis which ultra-right policies create.

Therefore, this decision concerns more than Californians alone. Davis' dropping the appeal would help signal a turn against anti-immigrant policies nationally. Labor unions, organizations and all democratic minded forces in our country should send messages to Gov. Davis asking him to stand by Judge Pfaelzer's ruling and drop the appeal!

Mail: Gov. Gray Davis State Capitol Building, Sacramento CA 95814, (916) 445-2841 (phone); (916) 445-4633 (fax).