Draconian law is ‘an unambiguous and direct threat to the liberty of millions of Americans who are Latino or who may appear to be of foreign origin’
SAN FRANCISCO (April 30, 2010) — City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Supervisor David Campos have written a joint letter calling on Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to seek a new host city for the 2011 All-Star Game — instead of Phoenix, Arizona, as currently planned — unless that state’s controversial new anti-immigration law is repealed.
Arizona’s draconian new law, which unless repealed or invalidated will be in full effect for the July 2011 mid-season classic, poses what the letter calls “an unambiguous and direct threat to the liberty of millions of Americans who are Latino or who may appear to be of foreign origin — including Major League Baseball players and their fans.”
The 3-page letter acknowledges that “the City we serve as elected officials has been no stranger to political controversy for its progressive policies and legal initiatives, including some by our respective offices…But Arizona’s new law goes far beyond merely pushing the envelope of a politically contentious issue. It is a direct and tangible threat to the fundamental rights of many Major League Baseball players and fans, and an affront to millions of Americans who are — or who may appear to be — of foreign heritage.”