Thread: Colorado closely watching Arizona illegal immigrant crackdow

Colorado closely watching Arizona illegal immigrant crackdown

By Tammy Vigil KDVR Denver

8:42 PM MDT, April 24, 2010

DENVER - Coloradans can expect to become part of the debate waging in Arizona over the strictest, most sweeping immigration legislation in the country.

Next week, high school and college students will walk out of class. And then the marches begin in May. It's all to protest what they see as an assault on the American Constitution.

A group of Colorado immigration activists get ready to board a flight to Arizona Saturday night to take part in a candlelight vigil Sunday. He says they want to show their brothers and sisters support.

"It's ground zero. That is where the fire started and we have to keep it from spreading to other states," says activist Jeremy Berundez.

That fire they say was sparked by a law making it a misdemeanor to be in the U.S. illegally.

"Hey, hey, ho ho. SB-1070 has got to go," chants the group, as they walk through Denver International Airport.

The law requires police to stop anyone they suspect is undocumented. They must show identification and if they don't have it, police must arrest them.

"Imagine walking down the street and always carrying a document--regardless of how you look, regardless of where you born," says Julien Ross, Executive Director of Colorado Immigration Rights Coalition.

He says the law makes racial profiling legal. "This law evokes laws we saw in Nazi, Germany," says Ross.

"I am in awe that the U.S. is slipping and taking steps back to the 1960's, " echos Bermudez.

Both say they will work hard to prevent this law from passing anywhere else, especially in Colorado.

"I say that loud and clear, to Tom Tancredo and Dave Schultheis and others who try to champion a similar law. We will not stand for it in Colorado," says Ross.

"If I had anything to say about it, we'd be doing it in Colorado," smiles former Republican Colorado Congressman Tim Tancredo.

Tancredo applauds the law in that Arizona took control of enforcing laws the federal government hasn't enforced.

But he questions how police can stop people for any reason. "I do not want people here, there in Arizona, pulled over because you look like should be pulled over," says Tancredo.

He suspects police in Arizona will only pull people over for breaking the law. But they could already do this before the new law.

Critics don't think the law will ever go into effect on Constitutional grounds. But supporters think it will pass legal muster.

But what both sides do agree on is this. "The Arizona law has only raised the level of urgency for federal reform," says Ross.

"The scary part of it is President Obama's solution is worse than the problem--amnesty," says Tancredo.

Amnesty would allow the 13-million undocumented immigrants in the country a pathway to legalization.

The new law would also allow individuals to sue local law enforcement if they're not enforcing the law.

Arizona says the law will take affect in about three months.

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Really, a few hundred 'college kids' who get a trophy for just showing up isnt THAT big of a story.

I would like to know why a few hundred people protesting is such a big deal. Its NOT.

When the reporter wants to promote amnesty any action will do for a story.