Baseball players union opposes Arizona immigration law
Article By AP on 30th April, 2010
NEW YORK -- Given a chance to take part in the 2011 All-Star Game at Arizona, Ozzie Guillen insists he won't go.
"I wouldn't do it," the Chicago White Sox manager said Friday. "As a Latin American, it's natural that I have to support our own."
Guillen joined a growing chorus of opposition to Arizona's new law that empowers police to determine a person's immigration status. The state is home to all four major team sports, hosts half the clubs in spring training and holds top events in NASCAR, golf and tennis.
The Major League Baseball players union issued a statement condemning the law. A congressman whose district includes Yankee Stadium wrote a letter to baseball commissioner Bud Selig urging him to pull the All-Star Game from Phoenix. The World Boxing Council took a step to limit fights in Arizona.
"It's a bad thing," said Baltimore shortstop Cesar Izturis, born in Venezuela. "Now they're going to go after everybody, not just the people behind the wall. Now they're going to come out on the street. What if you're walking on the street with your family and kids? They're going to go after you."
With more than one-quarter of big leaguers on opening-day rosters were born outside the 50 states, most of them from Hispanic descent.
"These international players are very much a part of our national pastime," MLB union head Michael Weiner said. "Each of them must be ready to prove, at any time, his identity and the legality of his being in Arizona to any state or local official with suspicion of his immigration status."
Weiner said that if the law is not repealed or modified, the union would consider "additional steps."
A day earlier, WBC president Jose Sulaiman said its sanctioning body unanimously agreed it will not authorize Mexican boxers to fight in Arizona.
"Great figures of boxin...
Read Complete Article at Latest Sporting News Articles for MLB
"I wouldn't do it," the Chicago White Sox manager said Friday. "As a Latin American, it's natural that I have to support our own."
Guillen joined a growing chorus of opposition to Arizona's new law that empowers police to determine a person's immigration status. The state is home to all four major team sports, hosts half the clubs in spring training and holds top events in NASCAR, golf and tennis.
The Major League Baseball players union issued a statement condemning the law. A congressman whose district includes Yankee Stadium wrote a letter to baseball commissioner Bud Selig urging him to pull the All-Star Game from Phoenix. The World Boxing Council took a step to limit fights in Arizona.
"It's a bad thing," said Baltimore shortstop Cesar Izturis, born in Venezuela. "Now they're going to go after everybody, not just the people behind the wall. Now they're going to come out on the street. What if you're walking on the street with your family and kids? They're going to go after you."
With more than one-quarter of big leaguers on opening-day rosters were born outside the 50 states, most of them from Hispanic descent.
"These international players are very much a part of our national pastime," MLB union head Michael Weiner said. "Each of them must be ready to prove, at any time, his identity and the legality of his being in Arizona to any state or local official with suspicion of his immigration status."
Weiner said that if the law is not repealed or modified, the union would consider "additional steps."
A day earlier, WBC president Jose Sulaiman said its sanctioning body unanimously agreed it will not authorize Mexican boxers to fight in Arizona.
"Great figures of boxin...
Read Complete Article at Latest Sporting News Articles for MLB
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