Posted on 08/13/2010 3:32:38 PM PDT by Schnucki
Florida has become the latest state to propose controversial new immigration laws which would force suspects to prove their US citizenship.
The new laws, proposed by Bill McCollum, Florida’s Republican Attorney General, go further than those which Arizona attempted to introduce earlier this month. Arizona has been blocked from introducing key parts of its new laws by a federal court after opposition from Barack Obama among others.
Under Mr McCollum’s proposed legislation, judges would be allowed to impose longer prison sentences and tougher bail conditions on illegal immigrants who have committed a crime.
Mr McCollum, who is attempting to secure his party’s nomination for governor in the forthcoming midterms, described his proposed new laws as a “huge step for public safety”.
“This legislation will provide new enforcement tools for protecting our citizens and will help our state fight the ongoing problems created by illegal immigration,” he said.
“This law is fairly balanced to protect the rights of those who are here legally and illegally.”
The proposed legislation requires police making an arrest to determine whether the person is in the country legally, something they can now do on a voluntary basis but which is normally carried out by the immigration authorities.
Under the proposed law, police can also arrest people on a “reasonable suspicion” that they are illegal immigrants.
About 20 other states are understood to be planning similar legislation.
Illegal immigration is expected to be one of the key issues in the forthcoming mid-term elections as American unemployment remains high.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Dancing to the right like McCain, when sb1070 passed, McCollum said it was “Far out” and “We aren’t going to do that here”
The interesting thing is that McCollum isn’t even in the legislature. What role does the Attorney General have in introducing legislation?
Everyone in Central Florida knows illegal immigrants on a personal level. I mean, from the lowliest minimum wage worker to the very successful folk, they all have daily interactions with illegal immigrants in public, social and private interactions. Having lived in NJ where even though the staet is the most diverse in the nation, it is also the most geogrpahically stratified and balkanized in terms of residential neighborhoods in North America, I was amazed at just how many illegal aliens are living pretty normal lives all ovr the Orlando area. The banks from Spain, Brasil and Puerto Rico will provide banking services to anyone Spanish or Portuguese speaking person who can provide a minimum balance. Last summer about this time in Orlando I kept track of the number of illegals i came into contact with during a particularly busy week. At least 13, from 8 countries... some fo them had PhDs, other less than a high school education. It's really the wild west frontier zone down there once you get in to the mix. Ill be surprised if there are enough voters who will support a illegal immigrant crackdown in Florida for the simple fact the state is so integrated through common struggle to make a living wage. Are there enough retiree voters to actually overtake the immigrant friendly population?
“What role does the Attorney General have in introducing legislation?”
its an election year.
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