by Kasie Hunt - Apr. 20, 2010 11:42 AMPOLITICO.COM
Hispanic lawmakers want President Barack Obama to intervene if Arizona's governor doesn't veto a sweeping anti-immigrant bill that would allow local police to arrest anyone they suspect might be an illegal immigrant.
"The governor of Arizona should veto the bill and if she doesn't the president of the United States
Barack Obama should assert the federal government's preeminent role in regulating and enforcing our nation's immigration law," Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), said Tuesday.
The White House declined to comment.
Under the proposed Arizona law, which passed the state Senate Monday, police can arrest anyone on "reasonable suspicion" that they are an undocumented immigrant. If they're not carrying a valid driver's license or identity papers, police could make an arrest.
"The lunacy of rounding up people because they look a certain way or are suspected of being in violation of immigration statutes can only lead to one thing violations of people's basic, fundamental civil rights. Profiling," Gutierrez said.
But while Gutierrez criticized Republicans, he's also firing a warning shot at the White House, which has been slow to embrace comprehensive immigration reform.
"In the end it all comes back to the president of the United States and whether he will put his back into comprehensive immigration reform," Gutierrez said.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/04/20/20100420arizona-immigration-bill-criticized-politico.html
Posted By: Yessenia Garcia
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