*** UPDATE ***
Arizona’s Governor, Jan Brewer, has signed into
law a state bill that would require the state’s police officers to
determine whether or not a person is in the U.S. legally.
***
Arizona’s Governor, Jan Brewer, will announce her decision on whether
she will sign her state’s restrictive immigration bill this afternoon.
The bill, which directs police officers to determine a person’s
immigration status if they reasonably suspect the person is an illegal
immigrant, has been the cause of much dissent locally and nationally.
It has been criticized by a number of immigration advocacy groups and
even police organizations such as the Arizona Association of Chiefs of
Police and the national Law Enforcement Engagement Initiative.
Earlier today, President Obama additionally criticized the bill in
remarks he made at a naturalization ceremony for active-duty service
members:
“Indeed, our failure to act responsibly at the federal level will only
open the door to irresponsibility by others,” the president said. “And
that includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which
threatened to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as
Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities
that is so crucial to keeping us safe. In fact, I’ve instructed members
of my administration to closely monitor the situation and examine the
civil rights and other implications of this legislation. But if we
continue to fail to act at a federal level, we will continue to see
misguided efforts opening up around the country.”
