PBS Documentary, "The State of Arizona", Traces the Roots and Effects of SB 1070

A new documentary on the PBS series Independent Lens tells the struggle over the controversial law that pushed state immigration enforcement to the forefront of conservative politics.

The documentary is under the direction of Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini. “The State of Arizona” will strike a balanced tone narrated by activists who campaign on both sides of the SB 1070 law.

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Sandoval told, “You have the rule of law, versus a more humane approach. Which way are we going to go with that? We really wanted to present the whole palette of emotions.”

The entire documentary is a clear picture taking viewers into the lives of the people who struggle day by day with the much talked about law.

When the Senate Bill 1070 was passed, the Arizona state legislature completely transformed the way the country looks at immigration. The 2010 law required police officers to check people’s immigration status as they were stopped by them.

The law was the turning point into the immigration debate.

During the documentary, viewers will be able to see former Arizona state Sen. Russell Pearce, the author of SB 1070, picking up one of his 14 grandchildren to spend the day with her, teaching her why John Wayne is an American hero. Carlos García of the Puente Movement, a pro-immigrant activist organization, describes a different home life. “The family is always on edge,” he says in the film, noting that six of his cousins had been detained or deported over the last four years. Unfiltered by narration, the voices of the characters carry the story.

This 90-minute documentary opens and closes with several references to last year’s Supreme Court ruling, which invalidated parts of SB 1070, but maintained a provision where police officials are able to check the immigration status of those they stop.

That wasn’t the last word on SB 1070 for the filmmakers. They said the law, along with record-level deportations under President Barack Obama’s administration, have moved the goal posts for the debate.

It seems that the law has been able to push undocumented immigrants in Arizona to “self-deport”, which is a term that was made popular by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Arizona’s undocumented population has dropped by 200,000 from its peak of 560,000 in 2008, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The declined is related by experts to the loss of job opportunities following the economic crisis. But they also say that SB 1070 likely played a role. Undocumented immigrants and advocated now simply want relief from the fear of detention and deportation, the filmmakers said.

“Immigration is an issue that really makes us question who we are as Americans,” Sandoval said. “And I don’t mean just the demographic question, but also the question of whether we’re going to be a rule of law society or a more compassionate society. I hope people will be expansive in their responses.”

“The State of Arizona” will air on Jan. 27 on PBS as part of the Independent Lens Series. Check local listings for showtimes.

To read more, please visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/16/state-of-arizona-documentary_n_4611840.html