Fed up lawmakers in a Mexican border state plagued with huge numbers of illegal immigrants are increasingly taking matters into their own hands by passing laws to control the crisis long neglected by the federal government.
Weeks after an Arizona State House panel approved a pair of measures intended to curb illegal immigration, the Senate has passed a law prohibiting sanctuary cities in the state. The measure allows illegal aliens to be charged with trespassing, makes it unlawful for anyone-documented or undocumented-seeking work to enter a vehicle stopped on the street and penalizes drivers who impede traffic in an attempt to hire a day laborer.
The bill, which moves to the House for the crucial approval that could make it law, will also prohibit all state and local governments from adopting policies that restrict the enforcement of federal immigration measures. In fact, it requires state and local governments to comply with and assist in the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.
In the last few weeks Arizona House committees have endorsed similar measures to conquer the state's colossal illegal immigration crisis which is good news for the pending Senate bill. The first prevents cities, counties and police departments from prohibiting law enforcement officers from enforcing immigration laws. The other requires criminal charges for day laborers and those who hire them if they impede the normal flow of traffic on public streets.
The measures are necessary because at least four Arizona cities, like many others across the U.S., ignore a 1996 federal law that requires local governments to cooperate with immigration authorities. The so-called sanctuary policies protect illegal aliens by instructing public employees and law enforcement officers not to notify the federal government of illegal immigrants-including those convicted of serious crimes-living in their communities.
In Arizona's case, the feds have actually impeded efforts by local police to crack down on illegal immigration. Sheriff sweeps that have cleaned up the sprawling Phoenix metropolitan area have been halted by the Justice Department amid allegations of racial profiling and violations of illegal aliens' constitutional rights.
The operations were for years conducted under a local-federal partnership-known as 287(g)-that trains police officers nationwide to enforce immigration laws. The program has been effective in drastically reducing violent crime in local communities and aiding in the deportation of thousands of criminal illegal aliens who would otherwise fall through the cracks.
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written by levotb, February 17, 2010
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written by Bobby, February 17, 2010
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written by ZIGGY, February 18, 2010
Do I like what's happening....NO
Do I feel sorry for all these statues quo people who I tried to warn what was going to happen, not really, they wanted to ignore it 20 years ago, now they have a nitmere on ther hands.
I for one gave them warnings, even writing senator McCain about it.
I wasn't a joke then, and sure as hell is no joke now.
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written by MICHAEL J BRUNING, February 20, 2010
As sympathetic as I am, the day that I understood spanish and learned what many were actually saying about "gringo's" and America....that's the day that I drew the line in the sand. When Maricopa County had to pa*s a special tax bill to ensure that Maricopa county Medical Center would stay ope, that's the day that I took an interest in the kind of people we were electing and the kind of people who were destroying our system of public services.
I have many friends that are of "other" ethnic backgrounds and I enjoy and share in their company and their culture. But, under no circumstances will I stand by while elected officials and advocates of illegal immigration and supporters of this unfettered invasion ransack our Constitution and our Republic.
The legislature has made a great first atempt to do what should have been done all along, but, they need to let public officials (salaries and benefits paid for by the tax payers) that they too will suffer financial and criminal retribution should they participate in any scheme to defraud the citizens of Arizona via allowing the hiring of illegal aliens or protecting them by failing to bare true and faithful witness to the Constitution and the oath that they take. If illegal's need to be returned to their nation of origin or face jail time, so too should elected officials, like Mary Rose Willcox, a Maricopa County Supervisor and Phil Gordon, Mayor of Phoenix and Scott smith, Mayor of Mesa, as well as their Chief's of Police who use tax payer dollars to protect them.
If the Rule of Law does not apply to local, county or state officials, then we may as well fold up our tent and go somewhere else. Otherwise, we shall look like California in a very short time.
The elected officials in the AZ Legislature who have worked hard to get this bill written and hopefully pa*sed and signed by the Governor are to be commended for their efforts and for holding law makers to the highest standard of governance....a practice which would surely meet the acceptance of our founding fathers.
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written by frederick bronson, February 20, 2010
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We better understand this. The problems we are having with these illegal aliens WILL NOT go away until we ENFORCE the law and get these illegal aliens out of this country. ALL OF THEM! Have I made that clear enough?