Congress considers proposal to push police to arrest immigrants

<p>Congressional Republicans are pushing a proposal that would pressure local and state police departments to arrest illegal immigrants by forcing officers to demand proof of citizenship on routine traffic stops.</p><p>Passage of the legislation is uncertain at best, but Rep. Charlie Norwood, R-Ga., introduced the bill with 106 co-sponsors. Among them are three Arizona representatives: Trent Franks, J.D. Hayworth and John Shadegg, all Republicans.</p><p>Immigrant advocates abhor the bill as do many police chiefs, who question whether it would do more harm than good.</p><p>Norwood argues that the 2,000 federal immigration agents cannot track down the millions of illegal immigrants without help.</p><p>His bill would not require local law enforcement agencies to track down undocumented immigrants, but those that refuse to cooperate could lose millions of dollars in federal funds.</p><p>Arizona law enforcement has collected about $33 million in the past two years from the federal State Criminal Alien Assistance Program.</p><p>If a locality sticks its nose up at a set of federal laws, why on earth should they get federal funding to house the very criminal aliens they choose to harbor? Norwood said.</p><p>But some police chiefs fear the measure will alienate immigrant communities and prevent investigation of more serious crimes.</p><p>We dont care what your legal status is, said Silverio Ontiveros, assistant chief of the Phoenix Police Department, who said departmental policy is not to arrest people solely because they are in the country illegally.</p><p>Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada echoed those sentiments.</p><p>We will assist all law enforcement agencies if someone has been identified as being wanted, but we wont go out and look for these people who are here illegally, he said.</p><p>He also worries the proposed legislation will discourage undocumented immigrants from reporting crimes.</p><p>Immigration advocates and civil rights groups argue that Norwoods bill would open the door to racial profiling.</p><p>The knee-jerk reaction of many, but not all, officers under the legislation would be to demand immigration documents from every member of the community who may look foreign, said Katherine Culliton, an attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a civil rights group.</p><p>Lets be honest: The overwhelming majority of undocumented immigrants here are hard-working people trying to make a better life for themselves and their families, she said. They are not criminals.</p>