Posted on 04/19/2005 2:11:33 PM PDT by Spiff
House approves letting local police enforce immigration law
PHOENIX The Arizona House approved a proposal today to give state and local police the power to enforce federal immigration laws.
Supporters sat the proposal is needed because the federal government isn't doing enough about the thousands of people who sneak across the border each year.
They say police departments need to get rid of "sanctuary policies" that, in some cases, discourage or prohibit officers from inquiring about a person's immigration status.
Many local police agencies in Arizona, the busiest illegal entry point on the nation's porous southern border, don't want the added duty.
Opponents say such a massive undertaking would detract from the traditional roles police have in protecting communities from crime
They also say local officers already have the authority to arrest illegal immigrants who commit crimes, that police agencies can't afford the new responsibilities and that the proposal could lead to racial profiling of Latinos.
The House's 32-to-25 vote sends the proposal to the Senate.
Well, I guess all state and local cops in Arizona are now vigilantes...
"Opponents say such a massive undertaking would detract from the traditional roles police have in protecting communities from crime"
Genius. Sheer genius.
Hey, dumbasses, coming across the border illegally IS a crime!!!
Tune in tomorrow for when some liberal judge rules against it.
Good for Arizona. What do you expect to happen in the Senate?
And transporting illegals or human trafficking is a felony!
I think it will pass. Nappy will veto it though.
"Nappy" badly needs to be "Davis'd", if you know what I mean.
A very deserving BUMP.
It's stupid to not allow local law enforcement to enforce laws.
Agreed.
Janet Nappy has GOT to go...
Sooner the better...
Sadder yet when the federal government won't do the work.
Worst of all is that a president would hold pandering above sovereignty.
Shame on you President Bush.
It's not really stepping in to do the fed's work. There's always been an odd piece of jurisdictional sillyness when it comes to illegal aliens, the Border Patrol doesn't like going into cities and local cops aren't allowed to pretend to be Border Patrol, so once an illegal got into a city they were pretty much free and clear unless the INS got lucky. A state can't order the BP into cities, and the local cops probably wouldn't want them in the cities anyway, so allowing the locals to play BP gets rid of the holes. It's a situation that's existed as long as I can remember (which means at least Carter), blaming Bush is kind of silly.
Arrest the illegals and release them at the Mexican border.
Tell that to the Los Angeles City Council. It will be good for a laugh.
ping
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