Thread: AZ- US close to criminalizing presence of illegal immigrants

US close to criminalizing presence of illegal immigrants with likely support from new governor

The Canadian Press
March 2, 2010
FOREIGN GENERAL NEWS
JACQUES BILLEAUD, CP

PHOENIX - Over the past several years, immigration hard-liners at the Arizona Legislature persuaded their colleagues to criminalize the presence of illegal border-crossers in the state and ban soft immigration policies in police agencies - only to be thwarted by vetoes from a Democratic governor.

This year, their prospects have greatly improved.

A proposal to draw local police deeper into the fight against illegal immigration has great momentum, and even opponents expect the new Republican governor to sign off on the changes.

The proposal will make Arizona, which borders Mexico, the only state to criminalize the presence of illegal immigrants through an expansion of its trespassing law.

It also will require police to determine people's immigration status when there's reasonable suspicion they are in the country illegally.

An estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants live in the state.

''The greatest threat to our neighbourhoods is the illegal alien invasion,'' said Republican state Senator Russell Pearce, sponsor of the proposal, explaining that some illegal immigrants who are criminals bring violence and other crimes to the United States.

Supporters say the new rules are direly needed because the federal government has done a lousy job of trying seal the border and crack down on immigrants in the country's interior.

Opponents say such new duties would be costly and lead to racial profiling.

The proposal passed the Senate two weeks ago, and a similar bill will come to a vote of the full House as early as this week.

Paul Senseman, spokesman for Republican Gov. Jan Brewer, said the governor doesn't comment on pending legislation but generally supports pragmatic immigration laws.

Her predecessor, Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, vetoed similar proposals.

Many of the state's local police bosses have long resisted suggestions that their officers conduct day-to-day immigration enforcement, saying it would distract them from investigating other crimes and sow distrust among immigrants, who might not help officers investigating crimes because they fear being sent home.

''We are not anti-immigration enforcement,'' said Kingman Police Chief Robert DeVries, who opposes the bill. ''We are just concerned about some of the responsibilities that are being pushed on us and how it affects our ability to provide day-to-day services in our communities.''

Immigrant rights advocates are especially concerned about the trespassing expansion, saying it would inevitably lead to hassles for U.S. citizens and legal immigrants who would be approached by police because of their skin colour.

''Bills like this that cast a net so wide are guaranteed to trap U.S. citizens,'' said Jennifer Allen, director of the Border Action Network, an immigrant rights group based in southern Arizona.

Pearce said he doesn't see the trespassing expansion being used on a wide scale and said officers wouldn't be required to arrest all illegal immigrants under such a law. Pearce said officers can turn illegal immigrants over to federal authorities, as police now routinely do, or they can use the trespassing expansion to hold onto illegal immigrants who are suspects in crimes.

On the Net:

Arizona Legislature: http://www.azleg.gov/

http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/En ... 53&start=2

"Opponents say such new duties would be costly and lead to racial profiling".





Now, How did I know this was going to be said somewhere in this article and every other article where the opposition doesn't like states enforcing the law..........When all else fails, cry racism!!

"Opponents say such new duties would be costly and lead to racial profiling".

Well since the US "illegal immigration system" is racist, of course it will lead to racial profiling! The US military rigidly patrols our sea and air borders to keep illegal Asians and Africans out, but leaves our southern land border unguarded to allow Mexicans and Central Americans in. It is intentional.

"Opponents say such new duties would be costly and lead to racial profiling".

God forbid we enforce the laws of the land against known criminals because of their skin color.

Funny how these same groups don't have a problem having the laws enforced against American citizens and whites in general.

Yep, they always do thet, but what they are forgetting, is like violence on tv, people become numb to it, and it loses it's impact. But the last resort of the lefty-looneys is to pull the race card.