Tucson, Arizona - January 21, 2014 – Independent Lens: “The State of Arizona” premieres on Monday, January 27, 2014 at 10 p.m. on PBS 6. Hosted by Stanley Tucci, and produced and directed by Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini (Farmingville), this new documentary follows Arizona’s controversial Senate Bill 1070, dubbed the “show me your papers” law. The film tells the stories of Arizonans on all sides of this divisive issue from ground zero of the nation’s immigration debate.
Arizona Public Media will present local content related to this topic. Luis Carrion speaks with the film maker Carlos Sandoval on Arizona Spotlight on Friday, January 24th at 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. (with encore broadcast on Saturday, January 25th at 5 p.m.)
Arizona Week with host Lorraine Rivera will feature immigration – politics and culture – and make reference to “The State of Arizona” film on Friday, January 24 at 8:30 p.m. (the program repeats on Sunday, January 26 at 10:30 a.m.)
About “The State of Arizona”:
Under the Senate Bill 1070 law, police officers are required to ask for papers from people they reasonably suspect to be undocumented in the course of an otherwise lawful stop. Designed to encourage self-deportation, the law’s stated purpose is to “deter the unlawful entry and presence of illegal aliens and economic activity by illegal aliens in the United States.” Supporters call it a common sense law enforcement tool; opponents see it as a dangerous infringement of civil rights that would inevitably lead to harassment and racial profiling.
The film follows the journey of the law all the way to the Supreme Court through the voices of those who wrote, support it, and of the many who dread its power.
Like everything else in Arizona’s conflict over immigration, no victory or defeat is simple because families, lives, and civic values lie in the balance in either direction. However, one thing is certain — Senate Bill 1070 galvanized Latino voters across the country who turned out in record numbers to re-elect President Obama largely based on his campaign promise of immigration reform. Their show of strength changed the political landscape and pushed immigration reform to the forefront of the national agenda.
For more information about the film visit State of Arizona
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