CNN: Arizona goveror signs immigration bill
Arizona governor signs immigration bill
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 23, 2010 4:43 p.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* NEW: Executive order requires training on implementing law without racial profiling
* Measure "threatens to undermine basic notions of fairness," President Obama says
* Administration closely monitoring situation, president says
* Bill would require immigrants to carry papers at all times
Washington (CNN) -- Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed a state bill Friday that requires police to determine whether a person is in the United States legally, which critics say will foster racial profiling and discrimination but supporters say will crack down on illegal immigration.
The Republican governor also issued an executive order that would require additional training for local officers on how to implement the law without engaging in racial profiling.
Earlier in the day, President Obama criticized the bill, calling it "misguided."
"Our failure to act responsible at the federal level will only open the door to irresponsibility by others. That includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe," the president said at a naturalization ceremony for 24 members of the military.
"In fact, I've instructed members of my administration to closely monitor the situation and examine the civil rights and other implications of this legislation. But if we continue to fail to act at the federal level, we will continue to see misguided efforts opening up around the country."
What would Arizona's immigration bill do?
Obama added, "As a nation, as a people, we can choose a different future, a future that keeps faith with our history, with our heritage, and with the hope that America has always inspired in the hearts of people all over the world."
The bill requires immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and requires police to question people if there's reason to suspect they're in the United States illegally. It also targets those who hire illegal immigrant day laborers or knowingly transport them.
Previously, officers could check someone's immigration status if the person is suspected in another crime.
Read the full text of Arizona Senate Bill 1070 (PDF)
Critics argue that the new law would foster racial profiling, saying most police officers don't have enough training to look past race while investigating a person's legal status.
iReport: Protesters at the Arizona Capitol
Some Latino members of Congress urged Brewer to veto the bill, arguing that it unconstitutionally authorizes discrimination.
Supporters said the measure is needed to fill a void left by the federal government's failure to enforce immigration laws. Its leading sponsor, state Sen. Russell Pearce, said, "Illegal is not a race; it's a crime."
Pearce, a Republican, said, "We're going to take the handcuffs off of law enforcement. We're going to put them on the bad guy."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/04/23/ ... tml?hpt=T1
