Some call this the strictest immigration bill ever introduced, is going through the Arizona legislature.
If the bill becomes law, one of its provisions would allow local police to check a person’s immigration status. Currently, that right is reserved for federal agents.
Arizona’s largest police union, the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA), has come out in support of the bill.
Additionally, the bill states that officers cannot solely consider race, color or national origin when carrying out their duties.It also says that people living here illegally could face criminal charges and that blocking traffic to pick up passengers and bring them somewhere else for work would be a ticketable offense. Further, the bill would prohibit people from transporting or harboring illegal aliens.
Right now the bill is in the senate and is expected to pass. It will then go to the governor, and she too is expected to sign it. What does it say about the climate for sweeping reform? you tell me.