Task force seeks to create local immigration Ëœdragnets

The Colorado Independent
April 23, 2009 Thursday 10:26 AM EST
By Erin Rosa

Although Colorado is home to some of the strictest immigration laws in the country, state lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled legislature are now supporting efforts to give local law enforcement more resources to crack down on undocumented immigrants. The plan is causing concern for immigrant-rights advocates, who fear discrimination and racial profiling.

A non-binding Joint Memorial introduced in the Senate Monday would request that the federal government train more local police forces to identify, arrest and detain immigrants who have been charged with crimes in the state. The formal request to Congress would also allow the state to use biometric identification â€