Posted on 04/12/2005 7:47:42 PM PDT by axes_of_weezles
PHOENIX - A House panel voted Monday to unleash state and local law enforcement officers to begin enforcing federal immigration law.
The legislation, Senate Bill 1306, would specifically authorize police officers, sheriffs' deputies and Arizona Department of Public Safety employees to "investigate, apprehend, detain or remove aliens in the United States … in the enforcement of immigration laws."
The sponsor, Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said many communities have what are, in effect, "sanctuary policies" so that people who are here illegally need not fear police.
"That is an outrageous policy that simply says we will look the other way, we're going to do nothing about it virtually," Pearce said.
"I find it a slap in the face to every citizen in the state of Arizona who worries about not only terrorists but violent aliens, people who come into our community and commit crime, (to) know that virtually it's a safe haven, once they're across that border, that we do nothing about it," he said.
But the proposal is drawing criticism from the agencies that would be affected.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio compared it to going after individual heroin users rather than the people who are supplying the drug. Arpaio said that's why he deputized 12 officers of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to work with his own deputies to investigate and arrest groups involved with smuggling people into this country illegally.
Arpaio said this proposal actually could work against that goal. He said deputies talk with illegal entrants on the streets or at work "not to put them in jail, but also to get information leading up to who caused them to be smuggled into this country."
Eric Edwards, representing police chiefs and county sheriffs, told lawmakers there are legitimate reasons police don't question people about their legal or immigration status.
Law officers are "very concerned about developing some trust in this community so that they do feel free to come forward as a victim or as witness to assist in the much more serious crimes," he said.
Carol West, a Democrat on the Tucson City Council, said she doesn't want officers from her community's police department out enforcing immigration laws.
"We have one of the highest property crime rates in the nation," West said, and she doesn't want anything that diverts police officers from preventing and solving those crimes.
West said it is up to federal officials to enforce immigration law, and she called Pearce's proposal "pretty drastic and unwarranted."
The measure also is opposed by the Tucson Police Department. "We work very hard to maintain a trusting relationship with our community," said Sgt. Carlos Valdez. "We don't want the Hispanic community to see us as a foe."
Valdez said Police Chief Richard Miranda also wants people who are the victims of crime to believe they can come forward without being turned over to the Border Patrol.
"Plus, we're busy enough on our own," Valdez added.
That's also the assessment of Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada: "Local law enforcement is already taxed enough dealing with public safety for our residents. We don't have the resources for that."
Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever could not be reached Monday for comment.
The legislation now goes to the House Rules Committee to determine if it is constitutional. Pearce said federal law already permits local police to enforce immigration law; others argued that the U.S. attorney general must first grant permission.
If the measure survives the Rules Committee, it goes to the full House. Then, if approved, Pearce's move to strip it onto an unrelated Senate bill would let it bypass the normal com-mittee vote and go directly to the Senate floor.
"We have one of the highest property crime rates in the nation," West said...
Geez, here's a thought--- maybe the toleration of the immigration lawbreaking could be contributing in some way to the property lawbreaking?
A common sense approach....finally, lets hope it spreads across the nation.
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