I walked into work this morning with a heavy heart knowing Thursday July 29^th would be the first official day Arizona would be carrying out SB 1070, a state sponsored immigration bill that would make it legal for local law enforcement to arrest anyone they suspected to be undocumented and make it a crime for immigrants to be caught without papers. This bill would further criminalize undocumented peoples, making immigration an issue of illegality instead of of addressing the root causes of displacement and economic exploitation that force marginalized communities to migrate.

While my heart continues to feel heavy, I felt a slight sense of relief once I read the front headlines of the San Francisco Gate that a federal judge blocked the most controversial portions of the law. This block focuses on the implementation aspects of the law, that which requires police to determine the immigration status of people they stop and suspect of being undocumented. Currently, Colorlines reports there are seven lawsuits challenging Arizona's anti-immigrant law ranging from the Department of Justice to LULAC.

Even though this temporary block gives us a small sense of relief and hope, it is imperative that we continue to organize and stand up against this apartheid bill and all xenophobic immigration policies! I along with thousands of human rights activists across the country will be joining in the National Day of Action against Arizona’s SB 1070 on Thursday July 29, 2010. If you are in the Bay Area, a collective of community residents and organizations have organized a series of actions at the Oakland Federal Building and Fruitvale Bart.  Please join me in letting our nation know that racist immigration policies like SB 1070 will not be tolerated! ¡ QUE SIGA LA LUCHA!