By Brenda Lopez Romero
Impunity Watch reporter – North America desk
ARIZONA, United States – The state Congress passed today an immigration bill, SB 1070, which in essence criminalizes the physical presence of a human being. The bill also allows local law enforcement to determine if a person is without legal immigration status. The bill passed 35 to 21 on party lines. Although in private some Republicans expressed concern about the bill they were reluctant to vote against it in an election year. Republican Gov. Jan Brewer is expected to sign the bill.
The state police chief’s association opposed the bill, but the police unions approved. Immigrant rights advocates claim Arizona will be transformed into a police state. Chris Newman, legal director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network said “it appears to mandate racial profiling.”
The bill makes it a misdemeanor to lack proper immigration paperwork in the state and requires police officers with a “reasonable suspicion” that someone is an undocumented immigrant, to determine the person’s immigration status, even when there is no suspicion of any other criminal activity. There is an exemption if the immigration issue would be impractical or hinder another investigation. The bill allows for a cause of action to compel local law enforcement to comply with the law and prevent sanctuary orders that restrict law enforcement from inquiring about people’s immigration status.
Mark Krikorian at the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, D.C., think tank that advocates tougher immigration enforcement, said “it makes sense that they would be the first to do it since they’re ground zero for illegal immigration … Obviously, their prosecutors aren’t going to go out and prosecute every illegal alien … It gives police and prosecutors another tool should they need it.”
“A lot of U.S. citizens are going to be swept up in the application of this law for something as simple as having an accent and leaving their wallet at home,” said Alessandra Soler Meetze, president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona.
The ACLU and immigrant rights groups will file a suit to block the bill from taking effect should Brewer sign it, because similar laws have been struck down declaring that only the federal government has the authority to enforce immigration.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio aready uses aggressive enforcement and is under civil rights investigation from the Department of Justice.
For more information, please see:
AZ Central – Arizona House passes wide-ranging immigration bill – 13 April 2010
L.A. Times – Arizona passes strict illegal immigration act – 13 April 2010
Phoenix Business Journal – Arizona House passes immigration bill – 13 April 2010
