Arizona Clears Strict Immigration Bill

Opponents of the bill believe they will be scaring away our workforce. It seems to me that we have an unemployment problem here and many of these jobs could be filled legally if the pay was fit to our economy. If not, perhaps the companies should not be operating here since the illegals are a drain on our health, education and law enforcement resources. In other words, these companies are being subsidized by the American taxpayer.

What is it about the word "illegal" that the liberals do not understand. The governor of Arizona should sign this bill and set Sheriff Joe and other law enforcement officers loose to finally take the necessary steps to protect our borders. We all know the federal government has no plan to restrict this endless source of potential Democrat voters.

Excerpt: Arizona lawmakers on Tuesday passed one of the toughest pieces of immigration-enforcement legislation in the country, which would make it a violation of state law to be in the U.S. without proper documentation.

It would also grant police the power to stop and verify the immigration status of anyone they suspect of being illegal.

In a statement, Tuesday Rep. John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills) called the measure "a comprehensive immigration enforcement bill that addresses the concerns of our communities, constituents and colleagues."

"This updated version gives our local police officers the tools they need to combat illegal immigration, while protecting the civil rights of citizens and legal residents."However, human rights groups are certain to challenge the measure in court, said Joe Rubio, lead organizer for Valley Interfaith Project, a Phoenix-based advocacy group, calling it "an economic train wreck." He added that "Arizona's economic recovery will lag way behind the country's if we keep chasing away our workforce. Where do the legislators think business will find workers?"

The bill in some ways toughens up a situation that the Obama administration had tried to roll back. Under a program known as 287g, some local law enforcement agencies were trained to enforce federal immigration laws by checking suspects' immigration status.

Mr. Arpaio, the Maricopa county sheriff, had been one of the most aggressive enforcers of 287g. However, the Obama administration in recent months has sought to scale back that program, and had reduced the resources it made available to Mr. Arpaio's office and others.