Thread: Perry says he'll try again on immigration bill

Perry says he'll try again on immigration bill

Posted: Jun 25, 2012 5:10 PM
Updated: Jun 25, 2012 5:11 PM

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Monday he'll keep pushing state lawmakers to pass a bill allowing police to ask anyone they detain about their immigration status when the Legislature convenes in 2013.

In a statement on his Twitter account, Perry said the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to keep the so-called "show me your papers" provision in Arizona's tough illegal immigration crackdown gives Texas room to pursue a similar policy. The court threw out other enforcement provisions in the Arizona law.

Perry, a Republican, had made a similar provision one of his top priorities in 2011 when he was ramping up his bid to run for president, but it failed despite a Republican in the Legislature.

"I will fight again to pass this important bill next session," Perry tweeted.

Perry and supporters say the Texas bill would have helped police fight crime committed by illegal immigrants. But opponents, including many police chiefs and sheriffs, said it would allow rogue officers to target Latinos.

Hispanic Democrats in the Texas Senate decried the bill as racist and tearfully pleaded in an eight-hour debate with Republicans not to pass the measure before it sailed through on a 19-12 party-line vote. The measure ultimately died without a vote in the House.

Texas Democrats say they expect Republicans to file similar bills in 2013.

"To give state and local law enforcement officers the power to act as federal immigration officers is a recipe for disaster. These harmful measures hurt the ability of our police to develop and foster relationships with immigrant communities, relationships critical in combating and solving crime," said Sen. Jose Rodriguez, D-El Paso.

Perry has said federal immigration enforcement has failed and that Texas must protect its own borders. Texas had an estimated 1.6 million illegal immigrants in 2011, according to the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington.

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