Battleground at the state capitol over new proposed illegal immigration laws

Syleste Rodriguez
12 News
Jan. 24, 2008 06:41 PM
The State Capitol has become the new battleground for the war on immigration. Democratic Representative Steve Gallardo is speaking out on two bills drafted by Republican Representative Russell Pearce. One would prohibit illegal immigrants from getting a marriage license, another would prevent landlords from renting property to illegal immigrants.

"We're dealing with landlord tenants and rental properties, it's been found unconstitutional in every court across this country, why is Arizona going to be any different?" Representative Steve Gallardo says.

Representative Russell Pearce says he's also working on a third bill that could be placed on the November ballot.

"We're closing a loophole in the system that's been abused," Pearce says.

Pearce is laying the groundwork for a bill that would give local law enforcement agencies the ability to arrest illegal immigrants.

"We have policies that restrict law enforcement from doing their job, they're called sanctuary policies, policies that don't ask, don't tell," Pearce says.

"It boils down to enforcing the law without any kind of racial profiling," Arizona voter Robert Ruybe says.

That's a fear felt throughout the Latino community, who thinks law makers should go after the real criminals.

"Let's go after the coyotes, let's go after the drug smugglers and those folks that are involved in gangs," Gallardo says.

http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/ar ... 08-CR.html