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Governor signs human trafficking bill
Elvia DÃÂ*az
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 15, 2005 12:00 AM

Gov. Janet Napolitano on Monday signed a bill targeting "coyotes" and human traffickers who recruit and coerce immigrants into prostitution or forced labor.

Senate Bill 1372 is touted as a significant step in the fight against "coyotes" who have made Arizona a preferred border crossing where immigrants are often left to die in the desert or end up trapped inside temporary homes known as drop houses without food or water and are occasionally beaten up.

It is the first major bill signed by Napolitano this session.

"It's about time the state decides to go after 'coyotes,' " said Bernardino Moreno, a undocumented Mexican immigrant who normally sells tacos and other food out of his mobile kitchen at 32nd and Van Buren streets in Phoenix.

"I frequently see how undocumented immigrants are kept without food," said Moreno, adding that he is afraid to report such abuses, fearing retaliation.

The law gives local authorities the power to prosecute those who smuggle people across the Arizona border, which has emerged as a major transportation route for illegal immigration. It also applies to the human traffickers who transport legal or illegal immigrants to coerce them into labor or prostitution.

It makes human smuggling a Class 4 felony crime punishable by up to three years in prison. It provides stiffer penalties against those who recruit, entice or force a person into prostitution.

Dealing with immigration crimes is the responsibility of the federal government. For instance, Phoenix police alert immigration authorities when they find dozens of immigrants jam-packed in homes.

But under the new law, which becomes effective 90 days after the 2005 regular session ends, local authorities will help with that burden.

"This is a good addition to our statutes," Napolitano said.

But she quickly warned that the federal government has to take control of the border and protect the Arizona-Mexico corridor.

A spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton said he had yet to see the legislation and thus would not be able to comment.

Some immigrant advocates reacted cautiously Monday, saying they welcome any laws that protect immigrants but are worried that innocent people may pay the consequences.

"Everyone is opposed to human traffickers," said Salvador Reza, head of Tonatierra, a non-profit group that runs the day labor center near 25th Street and Bell Road in Phoenix.

"It could be confusing to distinguish between a human trafficker and a good Samaritan who gives a ride to an immigrant," Reza said.

There is no denying, Reza and others said, that immigrants are being raped, robbed of their few belongings or kidnapped at gunpoint as smugglers attempt to extort money from the immigrants' families or competing smugglers.

Rep. Jonathan Paton, R-Tucson and a main sponsor of the legislation, said it specifically defines human traffickers and "coyotes" as those who profit from that activity. He also added that while training might be needed, local law enforcement has long dealt with border issues and thus will know how to carry out the new law.