(Thumbnail Image: The Washington Post)
“If an officer believes a person is in the U.S. illegally, say they can’t speak English or they’re a day worker outside of Home Depot, police are required to ask for a valid ID, driver’s license or visa. Failure could mean arrest, jail and deportation.” (Fox News)
Arizona's House and Senate passed a strict new immigration bill that has reignited fresh debate about immigration reform. Some say the bill is necessary. Others find it over the top.
We're looking at perspectives from CNN, The Huffington Post, MSNBC and the Wall Street Journal.
Some are concerned the Arizona bill promotes racial profiling. An Arizona lawmaker tells CNN that’s just not the case.
"You can ask on their immigration status, as well as you can ask about their name, their date of birth and their address. All we're saying is that you have a right to ask when you have a legitimate contact. A lot of people out there are saying this is some extreme, uh, we'll just take the handcuff. I love handcuffs, been in law enforcement most of my life. We're going to take them off law enforcement and I'm going to put them on the bad guy."
The Rasmussen Reports poll shows 70 percent of Arizona voters back the bill. But a contributor to The Huffington Post thinks the Arizona Immigration Bill will actually cause new problems within the state.
"For the first time, all law enforcement officers in the state will be enlisted to hunt down undocumented people, which will clearly distract them from going after truly violent criminals, and will focus them on mostly harmless families whose work supports the economy…”
The federal government faces calls to overhaul immigration, taking pressure off individual states. An analyst on MSNBC says the issue is going to be a big one during midterm elections.
“The thing that I think we’re seeing is the swing bloc vote of Latino voters for Democrats in particular is focused on this issue intensely. There’s a reason why Harry Reid, who has a tough reelection campaign right now in Nevada, is focused intensely on this issue. This is, I predict, the major issue for the midterms in the swing districts in the West and Southwest.”
A few senators have started to create a plan to help solve immigration problems nationally, although there’s no timeframe set for when the bill will be finished. A writer for the Wall Street Journal explains the new framework for the bill.
" …legislation …includes a path to citizenship for those here illegally. The blueprint also calls for a guest worker program and for controls aimed at stopping the flow of future illegal immigrants."
So, do you think Arizona’s new bill is too harsh? And should the federal government step in?
Writer: Amanda Heisey
Producer: Newsy Staff
