By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services
Key Points:
- ICE would be alerted as an arrest is taking place
- Democrats express concerns the measure could trigger violence
- Republicans say SB1055 will make Arizona streets safer
Republican lawmakers are moving to force state and local police to take a more active role in reporting people who are not in the country legally.
Legislation approved earlier this week by the Senate on a party-line vote would require any agency arresting a possible illegal immigrant to notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And that would be “immediately,” before any adjudication of guilt. That amounts to ICE being called to come to the location where an arrest is being made.
But Democrats fear that what’s in SB1055 would not just sweep up others but actually result in dangerous confrontations on the street with what Sen. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix, calls “a murderous force” of agents and what Sen. Lauren Kuby, D-Tempe, called a “lawless agency.”
That, in turn, brought a sharp retort from Sen. Jake Hoffman. The Queen Creek Republican read off a list of people killed by those not here legally, calling them “the actual murderous force.”
