Arizona goes it alone with tough immigration laws

[FR7 Baptist]

Pro-immigration groups across the US expressed despair today after Arizona passed the toughest bills in the country which they say are aimed at forcing out hundreds of thousands of Latinos living illegally in the state.

Arizona has long been a flashpoint in the debate over immigration, with tensions heightened by the murder last month of a popular rancher, Robert Krentz, in a remote spot used by groups smuggling people from Mexico to the US.

"The Mexico-Arizona border is out of control," said the Arizona Cattlemen's Association in a statement accompanying a report yesterday that claimed the impact of illegal immigration was so great the state could qualify for disaster relief.

The new bill, passed by the Arizona house of representatives last night, greatly expands the powers of the police in dealing with illegal immigration, including for the first time giving them the right to stop anyone on "reasonable suspicion" they may be an illegal immigrant and arrest them if they are not carrying identity papers.

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I'm for allowing police officers to arrest illegal immigrants, but this bill is nothing but an ethnic profiling bill. How is an officer going to develop reasonable suspicion that someone is an illegal alien as opposed to a legal alien or a citizen that is the wrong color?

 

[Revmitchell]

As a former Military Police in Southern California I can tell you that illegals often stand out in several ways. But most often they do not speak a word of english.

 

[Salty]

Article Link

I'm for allowing police officers to arrest illegal immigrants, but this bill is nothing but an ethnic profiling bill. How is an officer going to develop reasonable suspicion that someone is an illegal alien as opposed to a legal alien or a citizen that is the wrong color?

So you are saying that an Englishman who is here illegally would be easily able to avoid deportation?
How about a national ID card

 

[matt wade]

Article Link

I'm for allowing police officers to arrest illegal immigrants, but this bill is nothing but an ethnic profiling bill. How is an officer going to develop reasonable suspicion that someone is an illegal alien as opposed to a legal alien or a citizen that is the wrong color?

What's wrong with ethnic profiling? When 90% of the illegal aliens are of one ethnic background, let's understand that and profile in that manner.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

What's wrong with ethnic profiling? When 90% of the illegal aliens are of one ethnic background, let's understand that and profile in that manner.

Stop confusing the liberals with logic. I say round them up and give them to Sheriff Joe.

 

[FR7 Baptist]

How about a national ID card

No, that's too much government involvement in my life.

What's wrong with ethnic profiling? When 90% of the illegal aliens are of one ethnic background, let's understand that and profile in that manner.

Because as a *Hispanic person, I don't want cops harassing me as I walk down the streets looking for my green card, given that I'm a United States citizen. "Your papers, please?"

*My grandmother's from El Salvador, but the rest of my family are non-Hispanic white people, so I'm only one-fourth Hispanic. Plus her family is of mostly Spanish decent, so she's on the light end of the Hispanic spectrum. So I don't look very Hispanic or anything except I tan easily and have dark hair. Most people would never guess unless I told them, but I have had people ask me before.

 

[matt wade]

Because as a *Hispanic person, I don't want cops harassing me as I walk down the streets looking for my green card, given that I'm a United States citizen. "Your papers, please?"

So, it's for personal and emotional reasons rather than logical ones?

 

[rbell]

No, that's too much government involvement in my life.

Good gracious...that's twice in a week I've agreed w/Paul.

That boy's getting smarter by the day! :tongue3: :laugh:

 

[FR7 Baptist]

So, it's for personal and emotional reasons rather than logical ones?

No, for reasons of privacy and civil rights. The problem with this bill is that I don't think reasonable suspicion plus no documents rises to the level of probable cause for an arrest.

 

[Revmitchell]

Suspicion of coming into the country illegally and not having an American ID is reason for an arrest. Throughout my life time as a white American I have been asked for my ID many a great many reasons.

 

[FR7 Baptist]

Suspicion of coming into the country illegally and not having an American ID is reason for an arrest. Throughout my life time as a white American I have been asked for my ID many a great many reasons.

I've had to show ID many times as well, but I've never had the police ask to see it. If they did, I would show it to them. It's a good idea to carry an ID with you, but I don't want to criminalize walking down the street without ID for United States citizens. I do support allowing police to arrest or issue criminal summons for illegal immigrants if there is probable cause.