Northwest suburban Republican wants Arizona-type immigration law here

By Stephen Di Benedetto

March 11, 2011

SPRINGFIELD — Illegal immigrants in Illinois could face deportation and heightened police scrutiny in the fashion of the notorious Arizona immigration law if a northwest suburban lawmaker has his way.

Rep. Randy Ramey, Jr. (R-Carol Stream) has introduced legislation that patterns itself after the Arizona law signed last April that drew a legal challenge from the Obama Administration.

As in Arizona, Ramey’s bill would allow police to determine the immigration status of a person if the official reasonably suspects that the person is in the state illegally. It could also put the illegal immigrant on the deportation track.

The bill, Ramey said, is an alternative solution to Illinois’ financial woes that does not put costs back onto taxpayers, unlike the 67-percent income tax increase.

“We are in such bad shape that if you don’t look at all aspects of the budget, and if you don’t try to address these issues, then you are failing the people of this state,â€