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Illegal immigrants may now face charges of trespassing
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Trespassing may soon be another crime faced by those who enter Arizona illegally. A bill proposed by Republican Rep. Russell Pearce of mesa, was approved on Tuesday by the Arizona State Legislature and later the House and now heads to the Senate for consideration. The bill expands Arizona’s trespassing law by criminalizing the presence of illegal immigrants in the state.
Critics of the bill, like Jennifer Allen of the Border Action Network, feel that it will lead to racial profiling and hinder local police and politicians in dealing with, what they deem, the priorities of their communities. Proponents of the bill, such as state Rep. John Kavanagh, a former police officer, feel this bill allows officers to do their jobs, without having politicians dictate to them when and where to apply the law.
Since the amnesty lottery in the 80’s, the number of illegal immigrants has risen so dramatically and quickly that federal immigration enforcement couldn’t keep up. The flood gates were open, so to speak, and the ball was dropped.
In Washington the debate for “Comprehensive immigration reform” continues. While our elected representatives continue to pay lip service to this problem, Arizona has chosen to act. This new bill, if passed in the senate, will go hand in hand with other laws in place that discourage people from illegally entering Arizona. Discouraging illegal activity is the first step to curbing illegal activity. Arizona’s commonsense approach to a grossly ignored problem will, I believe, set the mold for other border states and maybe, if they are paying attention, Washington.
More on this topic: Comprehensive immigration reform
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