An Arizona Senate committee passed a bill to require law enforcement officials to cooperate with federal immigration officials this week and has sent the bill to the full senate for debate.
Titled the “Arizona ICE Act” (SB1164), the bill is meant to strengthen ties between state law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement agencies to ensure public safety and directs Arizona to “use its best efforts to support the enforcement of federal immigration laws.”
The bill would prohibit state law enforcement agencies from interfering with federal immigration officials and bar state, county, and city officials from interfering in federal immigration enforcement activities. It would also allow for state law enforcement to hold a suspected illegal for an additional 24 hours, the Arizona Mirror reported.
The bill provides for state funds to be cut off from any police agency or government office that refuses to cooperate with federal immigration officials and gives state officials to power to sue local officials for noncompliance. It also would allow any Arizona citizen to file a grievance.
The bill passed out of committee along party lines with all Democrats voting against it.
Republican Sen. Janae Shamp said she feels the bill will prevent murders like that of Laken Riley, who was murdered in Georgia by an illegal migrant from Venezuela. “This is about making Arizona safer, and the fact of the matter is the citizens of Arizona overwhelmingly voted to secure our border. Our federal government is not going to do it, then we have to do it,” Shamp said.
WATCH — “U-S-A!” Grand Canyon University Students Run Across Campus Cheering After Trump Victory:
On the other hand, Democrat Sen. Catherine Miranda denounced the bill and claimed the real result would be a reduction in reports of violent crime as the migrant community would disengage from the public.
“There will be reduced reporting of violent crimes by vulnerable communities because they won’t act as witnesses out of fear of deportation,” Miranda exclaimed. “There will be increased response times for our law enforcement. Most major agencies are short staffed and over extended.”
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston
