Thread: Arizona House To Take Up Sweeping Immigration Bill

Arizona House To Take Up Sweeping Immigration Bill
Donna Rossi
Reporter, KPHO.com

POSTED: 6:04 pm MST March 29,2010
UPDATED: 6:59 pm MST March 29,2010

PHOENIX -- The Arizona House of Representatives is set to debate a Senate bill that calls for sweeping changes in state laws dealing with illegal immigration.

SB 1070 has already passed the Senate and is scheduled to be debated by a House committee Wednesday morning. The bill would make it a state crime to be in Arizona if you are in the country illegally. It would also make it illegal to hire day laborers or transport anyone who is an illegal immigrant.

The bill's sponsor, Republican Sen. Russell Pearce of Mesa, said it's time Arizona wakes up.

"It's about time we recognize citizens have a constitutional right to expect our laws to be enforced. The failure to do that cost us in jobs, billions of dollars to educate, medicate and incarcerate illegal aliens," said Pearce.

Opponents of the bill said the cost to cities and counties would be prohibitive in a time when they're already pressed for cash and resources. "Increase in police work, increases for prosecutors, for the judiciary, for social services that are already very strained in this years Arizona sate budget," said Jaime Farrant with the Border Action Network.

Immigration rights activists also believe the legislation, if passed, would infringe on the rights of U.S. citizens. "This bill will require people to carry a passport or something that will state you're a U.S. citizen and if you cannot prove that, police officers are required to arrest you on the spot," said Farrant.

Pearce said the bill is a good bill and the concerns being raised are fabricated. If the bill passes, Arizona would have the most comprehensive immigration enforcement laws in the county.

"I've had 18 states so far contact me and are watching this because they would like to do something similar. They're excited about it," said Pearce.

Supporters of the bill believe they have the votes to pass the legislation and the support of the governor to get it signed into law.

http://www.kpho.com/news/22994432/detail.html

Did you see and hear Channel 8 AZpbs.org Homeland Security Chief Janet spoke for 30 minutes. I thought I heard her say the trespassing part of Pearce's bill will be taken up on the federal level because she and President don't agree with it. Check it out, I am not sure when we will be able to view the broadcast online at Channel 8 site in AZ. Its's not up yet. It is worthwhile. She also said.
http://www.azpbs.org/horizon/detail.php ... Napolitano Homeland Security, Napolitano, 30 minute interview 03/29/10 on Television at AZPBS.org Horizon --she said 1) Obama's Immigration reform has Bi-Partisan support from Schumer and Graham 2)She said we need to document the Many people in US we don't know who they are, they need to register, get biometric id, pay a fine, learn English and become legal. 3) illegals came here with their children, we need to continue educating these. Some children have lived here a long time & we want them to continue educating. She said Obama's plan includes this. No plans to continue the virtual wall for border security, plans to increase radar along border, and more laptops for border guards. No mention of motion sensor Sheriff Joe Arpaio is proposing?? Napolitano indicated Obama etc wants to stop AZ's enforcing proposed No Trespassing Plan. Obama etc plan to hinder this bill going gorward at the federal level with new law. This is what I thought I heard., Host Ted Simons said illegal immigration is a very heated topic. I shed many tears after hearing Homeland Security Chief, Napolitano 30 minute conversation.

House changes, advances immigration bill
by Associated Press (March 31st, 2010 @ 12:47pm)
Comments:41

PHOENIX - An Arizona House committee has advanced a bill that would criminalize the presence of illegal immigrants in the state.

The House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee advanced the legislation on an 8-3 vote Wednesday.

The committee changed key provisions, but critics said the changes still leave many questions unanswered.

The bill would ban soft immigration policies in police agencies and prohibit people from blocking traffic when they seek or offer day-labor services on street corners. It now goes to the full House.

The Senate approved the bill in February, but senators would have to re-approve it to accept the changes made in the House.

http://www.ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=1279451

House weighs migrant bill
Controversial language slows Senate-passed proposal

by Alia Beard Rau - Apr. 1, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

A wide-ranging immigration proposal in the state Legislature continues to attract advocates from both sides of the issue.

During a committee hearing Wednesday, the advocates rallied on the Capitol lawn. Some held signs, others wore yellow T-shirts. They made desperate pleas to lawmakers and sent thousands of postcards to the governor.


They all have a lot at stake: Senate Bill 1070 could bring Arizona the toughest immigration laws in the nation.

The bill would, among other things, make it a state crime to be in the country illegally. It would require law enforcement to check immigration status as well as enforce federal immigration laws. It also would make it a crime in some cases to pick up a day laborer or be picked up as a day laborer.

And although the Senate passed the bill in February, concerns about wording and legal impacts lingered. The sponsor, Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, has spent time since working with the Governor's Office, attorneys and stakeholders to further tweak the language.

On Wednesday, the House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee passed an amended version of the bill with a vote of 5-2. It now goes to the House Committee of the Whole.

Much of Wednesday's hearing focused on arguments over legal interpretation vs. intent.

Martha Payan of Phoenix was among a group that showed up wearing bright yellow T-shirts with wording opposing sanctuary policies and a black ribbon in memory of Robert Krentz, the rancher killed in southern Arizona.

"Counties, cities and the state have been letting the immigration situation build," Payan said.

In the latest version of SB 1070, the charge of trespassing for illegal immigrants in Arizona was replaced with a state crime of "willful failure to complete or carry an alien registration document." Such a document would include what is more commonly called a green card. Pearce said the new wording reflects existing federal law.

Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, voted against the bill. She said nobody has ever been charged under the federal law for failing to carry their legal identification card but worried that it would be taken to that level in Arizona.

"My concern is that if a person doesn't have documentation but is a legal resident, there would be time they could be held in custody until their legal status is determined," Sinema said.

Levi Bolton, who represents the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, argued that police are capable of interpreting the bill responsibly.

"We investigate things like murders, and yet folks think we can't figure out how to determine probable cause and reasonable suspicion," he said.

Father Glenn Jenks of St. James Episcopal Church in Tempe and a member of the Valley Interfaith Project said he was concerned that the bill has no clear language exempting crime victims and witnesses from having to prove their legal status.

Pearce said wording in the bill that would require officers to check immigration status when "practicable" allows wiggle room for officers.

The new version of the bill eliminates the requirement that an individual must be in the midst of committing another crime in order to also be charged with transporting, concealing or harboring an illegal immigrant.

Ron Johnson with the Arizona Catholic Conference argued that under the new wording, soup kitchens, homeless shelters or even crisis pregnancy centers could be charged if someone they are serving turns out to be an illegal immigrant.

Pearce said the bill has no exception for humanitarian efforts because the federal law has no such exceptions. But he said the intent is clear.

"Harboring is not driving people to church," he said.

Rep. Amanda Reeve, R-Phoenix, voted for the bill in committee but said she would reconsider in Committee of the Whole if Pearce didn't change some of the wording causing concern.

www.azcentral.com