MLB Players' Union Opposes Arizona Immigration Law SB1070

by NowPublic Staff | April 30, 2010 at 03:48 pm

1792 views | 0 Recommendations | 8 comments

MLB Players Association Balk At Arizona Immigration Law
Protestors Urge Moving 2011 All-Star Game Out Of Arizona, Jose Guillen Speaks Out Against Immigration Law

The Major League Players Association is worried that the new Arizona Immigration Law could target their foreign born and Latino players, and their families. A quarter of all Major League Baseball (MLB) players are born outside of the United States.

Michael Weiner, the executive director of the MLBPA issued a statement on Friday.

These international players are very much a part of our national pastime and are important members of our Association. Their contributions to our sport have been invaluable, and their exploits have been witnessed, enjoyed and applauded by millions of Americans. All of them, as well as the Clubs for whom they play, have gone to great lengths to ensure full compliance with federal immigration law. ...

This Players' issue could be could far more problematic than the existing campaign to move the 2011 MLB All-start game from Phoenix. At the time of this post the the petition has received about 2,000 signatures online.

The Phoenix area is a beehive of baseball activity during spring training filled with new players, many recent immigrants from Latin American countries and that has the Major League Baseball Players Association worried

We hope that the law is repealed or modified promptly. If the current law goes into effect, the MLBPA will consider additional steps necessary to protect the rights and interests of our members."

Veteran outfielder and designated hitter Jose Guillen says he alarmed about the Arizona immigration bill and its impact on baseball players.

“I’ve never seen anything like that in the United States, and Arizona is part of the United States,” Kansas City Royals designated hitter Jose Guillen(notes) said. “I hope police aren’t going to stop every dark-skinned person. It’s kind of like, wow, what’s going on.

“I was 17, 18. I’d forget things. Kids do.”

Guillen arrived in the United States at 17. The Pittsburgh Pirates signed him for $2,000 and sent him to their rookie-league affiliate in Florida. He grew up poor in the Dominican Republic. He didn’t know English. A law as murky as SB 1070 would’ve made no sense to him, and Guillen worries about this summer’s crop of rookie league players being targeted.

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justopinion (not verified)

at 19:14 on April 30th, 2010

If the law passed to make the society more safe, I don't mind if we pass another law to get rid of blacks too.

Whatever Who cares (not verified)

at 23:46 on April 30th, 2010

So we should get of whites too? They commit crimes too, you know.

Doesnt Matter (not verified)

at 23:44 on April 30th, 2010

If you didn't want "illegal immigrants" here, you should have done a better job of keeping them out in the first place. I say those who failed to do this should leave.

arizonan (not verified)

at 08:39 on May 1st, 2010

Nobody that I know of is against legal immigration into our state. It is the illegal immigration that is the problem. When a person enters illegally, they are making a conscious decision to ignore and disrespect our country and citizenry, especially by refusing to go through the process once they are here. By failing or refusing to go through the immigration process, a person is making a statement that they are here for what they can get without having to contribute.

Gil T Azell (not verified)

at 09:32 on May 2nd, 2010

If certain baseball players want to make a statement about Arizona's new illegal immigrant law, which replicates existing federal law, then have those players donate 10% of their gross salaries to compensate the citizens of Arizona for the oppresive social costs they incur because of the influx of illegal aliens, and another 10% to compensate the citizens of Arizona who are victims of crimes that are perpetrated against them by illegal aliens. As for a boycott, or moving of the All Star game, I would remind everyone that the vast majority of Americans support Arizona's new law. If MLB want to see a painful boycott, just let major league baseball take any kind of action against the Dbacks.

michael z. (not verified)

at 12:03 on May 8th, 2010

This country was built on the strength of people standing up for something they believe in even if they are in the minority. Unfortunately for Arizona, the state's history on race is such that one almost has to conclude that this is about more than just solving the immigration problem. I have written a good piece urging MLB to move the all-star game to another city if this law goes into effect. If interested, read at: thepolesposition.com/2010/05/05/race-politics-and-sports-collide-with-arizonas-passage-of-senate-bill-1070/

John Lombert (not verified)

at 07:34 on May 16th, 2010

From reading these comments it shows to me the ignorance of us Americans, read up the laws and understand them before making a comment cause you just sound idiotic, the only person on the right page here is Michael Z. and good job. Illegal Immigration is a problem yes and it is a problem that needs to be handled but the new law requires police officials to stop people who they may think are illegal immigrants and ask them for identification..This is RACIAL PROFILING and thats just wrong after so many advances have been made and lives lost of people fighting for this not to happen any more, we are just taking a step back, a step that will bite us in the butt down the road...Then we wonder why the rest of the world is not fond of us, is because we demand freedom and all claim we are the land of the free, yet we do things like this and look like hypocrites.

A. G Cast (not verified)

at 16:00 on May 20th, 2010

The problem is not with the law, or in this case the broken law. Enforcing laws is right, what is not right is to ask people to prove they have a right to be here simply on appearance or name. Who carries around their passport? A license does not prove whether you are here legally or not. US citizens aside from their birth certificate do not have other means to prove this, so who carries their birth certificate when they go out. Targeting people based on their appearance and name is wrong, now if they break a law then perfectly fine, but you cannot assume guilt until proven innocent. We do not stop and frisk for explosives every muslim just because of what some muslims did, or we do detain, all white people in suspicion of child molestation because some did, or consider all black people guilty of theft because some blacks have stolen. It is simply not right. Once detained for a crime then if they are illegal fine, arrest them, deport them, whatever, but do not profile people just because of the way they look, talk or if their last name ends in a syllable.