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| -Lurid Crime Tales- |
| Double Negative, No Penalty Anti-Illegal Alien Law |
| 2009-04-15 |
| Local governments across Arizona would be prohibited from enacting policies that prevent them from enforcing federal immigration law, under a proposal tentatively approved by state lawmakers Tuesday. The measure, House Bill 2331, would bar cities, towns and counties from following so-called sanctuary policies, which discourage local authorities from contacting federal agents during routine encounters with undocumented immigrants. The bill was OK'd by House lawmakers on a voice vote and could receive final consideration as early as today before advancing to the Senate. Following the 2007 murder of a Phoenix police officer by an undocumented immigrant, the city came under heavy criticism for a 2-decade-old policy that barred officers from contacting federal authorities regarding most encounters with individuals suspected of living in the country illegally, including during basic traffic stops and misdemeanor arrests. The city amended that policy last year. Now, everyone arrested in Phoenix is questioned about his or her citizenship. The bill would not require local authorities to enforce federal immigration law; rather, it would prevent them from having policies that hinder enforcement of federal law. Bill sponsor Rep. Tom Boone, R-Peoria, said the measure would "have a very credible impact" on reducing illegal immigration in Arizona, assuring that no communities are turning a blind eye to the problem. The proposal stipulates no penalties for communities in violation. "I know that we have a serious illegal-immigration problem here in Arizona," said Rep. Ben Miranda, D-Phoenix, but he argued that the proposal leaves local authorities little leeway to write their own guidelines when it comes to prioritizing enforcement of immigration-related crimes. "Given a choice between detaining a maid on her way to work or a drug dealer on the streets," Miranda continued, "it's clear where we should place our priority." Boone countered that cities and towns shouldn't be able to pick and choose between which laws they want to enforce. "There are a lot of laws that are federal laws, but they're enforced by the local law enforcement," he said. "Do we leave bank robbers to the feds? These are all federal laws." |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #1 Ya know, the feds (under O'Bambi) aren't too keen on enforcing the illegal alien laws anyway. |
| Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839 2009-04-15 14:25 |