We have criminals who are US citizens and don't carry IDs. The police are not checking everyone randomly. It is only when there is reasonable cause or suspicion that someone is committing a crime. This is just a normal check to ID who that person is regardless of whether it is a citizen or not. If it is a citizen, there is no crime or penalty. If it is someone who is here illegally, than the federal government is notified. Depending on the crime, the individual can be prosecuted or turned over to ICE immediately for deportation.
There was a time not long ago when police pulled americans over and asked for ID and could arrest you if you didnt have one. Maryland encodes your birth date on the bar code of your drivers licence. AZ could encode an immigration status on a similar ID (drivers licences should already be good given federal law.)
Maryland used to issue drivers licenses to illegals, one of four states in the US to do so. That is not the case in AZ. If you are driving without a driver's license in your possession anywhere in the US, that is a crime.
RE :”Maryland used to issue drivers licenses to illegals, one of four states in the US to do so. That is not the case in AZ. If you are driving without a driver’s license in your possession anywhere in the US, that is a crime.”
100% agreement and Maryland was forced to change that due to federal law.
My real objective is to neutralize the demonization of the law which I fully support. Obama is planning on using this as an issue this Fall(amnesty bill coming). You have to realize that there are a whole world of voters that never see the arguments you made which I saw on FNC and even Chris Matthews(had a AZ police officer on that did agreat job explaining it.)