Illegal Immigration Act SB 1070 Approved in Arizona
In what is being referred to as the harshest measure in the United States against illegal immigrants, SB 1070, Arizona’s new Illegal Immigration Act, has drawn much national and local support as well as much opposition. The bill was approved 35 to 21 on April 13, 2010 in the state House of Representatives and the state Senate approved a comparable measure which should be signed by Republican Gov. Jan Brewer any day now.
Under the new measure, it will be a misdemeanor offense in Arizona to be without proper immigration paperwork. Additionally, police are now allowed to distinguish an individual’s immigration status if they develop a “reasonable suspicion” that a person is an illegal immigrant. The later part of SB 1070 has some speculating the potential of an increase in racial profiling by law enforcement.
Before the bill’s passing, officers have only been allowed to ask someone about their immigration status, and only if that individual is a suspect in another crime. What interests several citizens and immigration law professionals is that the bill provides officers the option to overlook any immigration issues if they believe it would be unreasonable or restrict another criminal investigation.
While Arizona’s border with Mexico is notorious for being the busiest spot of access for illegal immigrants into the U.S., according to an article, the state police chief’s association opposes the bill. They are concerned that immigrants who are potential witnesses will trust law enforcement less than they did before. Meanwhile, police unions support the bill.
Strict immigration laws in Arizona are not a new occurrence. It became a crime in 2009 for any government worker to provide inappropriate benefits to an illegal immigrant, and in 2006, it became a law that companies would be dissolved if they displayed a pattern of hiring illegal immigrants.
In adding to the state’s efforts to enforce immigration control, the new measure will greatly influence several employment, housing, criminal, and economic factors in Arizona, and perhaps even in other states in the coming months if others decide to pursue similar action.
