DPS: SB 1070 Reduced Immigration-Related Crimes
This week marks 1-year anniversary of law

Updated: Thursday, 21 Apr 2011, 10:23 PM MDT
Published : Thursday, 21 Apr 2011, 10:23 PM MDT

PHOENIX - This Saturday marks the one year anniversary of the signing of Arizona's controversial immigration law, SB 1070.

The main parts of the law -- that allowed officers to stop people suspected of being in the country illegally -- are being contested in court. But there are other parts of the law that remain in effect.

Now, one year later, the Department of Public Safety says it has made a difference in the border battle, even in its stripped down version.

IIMPACT is DPS' immigration task force. Agents work to get smugglers off the streets. This year, DPS Capt. Fred Zumbo says, there are fewer violent crimes.

"It's helped us to be able to do our job better," he says.

The portions of the bill that remained allow for more serious charges against traffickers, and Zumbo says that has been a big deterrent.

"Doesn't end up being a revolving door where you send a person back to their country of origin without any penalty, only for that person to come back and continue to commit crimes."

Captain Zumbo cites these stats as proof -- from January to March of last year, the task force busted 12 drop houses. During the same months this year, only three.

Last year agents arrested 33 smugglers. This year it's down to 12.

Zumbo admits the law may not be the only reason for this decline. The economy has made a huge impact -- and so has the federal government.

ICE agents have helped deal with illegal immigration, like Wednesday's big raid at Chuy's restaurants.

"It's kind of a perfect storm of events that have happened," says Zumbo. "The bad guys have learned that you don't really want to mess around in Arizona."

It is still not a perfect equation, but smugglers and cartels are getting the message. Zumbo says immigration violence has moved on to other states. IIMPACT receives the most calls from Houston, Denver and Las Vegas. These cities are now asking for our help in how to deal with the bloodshed.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/im ... -4-21-2011