ZERO TO THREE is deeply concerned about the adverse impact the law recently enacted in Arizona will have on infants, toddlers and their families if implemented. The law orders immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and gives the police broad power to question and detain people if there is reason to suspect they are in the United States illegally. Some legal experts interpret the law as sanctioning racial profiling and it could be implemented in such a fashion. Opponents have called it an open invitation for harassment and discrimination against Hispanics regardless of their citizenship status and the law has escalated political tensions across the country related to race, border security and immigration. We believe the law promotes discriminatory actions that create intimidation and fear in minority families and communities and are damaging to the emotional health and overall wellbeing of young children. We urge the law be repealed or overturned and are heartened by the recent action of U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice to enjoin Arizona from implementing the law before it became effective. Judge Bolton’s decision opens the way for a lengthy legal review of the constitutionality of the law by the federal courts.
As many are aware, our 25th National Training Institute (NTI) is scheduled to be held in Phoenix on December 8-11, 2010. This location has raised significant questions for us because we are highly sensitive to the concerns raised by those urging a general boycott of conferences in Arizona as a form of protest of the recent legislative action. We are also faced with the reality that site selections and legal contracts for conferences of this size and scope are made several years in advance. Had the law been passed when we were making the site selection we would not have chosen Phoenix. We will communicate with the appropriate authorities in Arizona that we will not schedule future conferences in the state until the law is repealed or overturned.
ZERO TO THREE has seriously analyzed our ability to cancel or move the NTI in order to protest the law. We have decided to continue to hold the NTI in Phoenix primarily because our colleagues in Arizona, many of whom serve on our Host Committee, have made an impassioned plea for the NTI to proceed in Phoenix. The families they serve are the direct victims of the climate of serious fear and distrust resulting from racial discrimination and often live in the communities plagued by the epidemic of cross-border drug cartel fueled violence. Our colleague’s work with these families creates high levels of stress and we want to offer them the help and support a conference like the NTI would provide.
To meet their needs, and that of all interested attendees, the NTI will showcase programming designed to improve services and policies for very young children in immigrant families. For example, the opening keynote will be given by an internationally known researcher who will discuss early childhood development among the children of undocumented residents. In addition we will hold a number of informational sessions, distribute special resources to learn more about immigration issues for babies and toddlers and create opportunities for attendees interested in learning and discussing the impact of the Arizona law, and those like it, on infants, toddlers and their families.
We hope you will join us in Phoenix as we continue our tradition of providing cutting-edge training on a wide range of topics concerning infants, toddlers and their families while also supporting the needs, courage and dignity of professionals who work with immigrant families in Arizona and throughout the nation.
