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Discussion: MI lawmaker plans AZ-like immigration bill
A Michigan lawmaker believes the state's law enforcement officers need the authority to arrest illegal immigrants and is drafting legislation similar to Arizona's new immigration law.
Rep. Kim Meltzer, R-Clinton Township, said her bill would allow police to request proof of citizenship from people who are stopped and questioned on another offense, such as a traffic violation or selling fraudulent identity documents. Officers would have the authority to arrest people who can't prove their legal status.
"We have borders in place for a reason," Meltzer said. "Everyone should play by the rules."
Meltzer, who's a candidate for state Senate in the August primary election, said racial profiling ? a key fear among opponents of Arizona's law ? would not be tolerated. She said a driver's license would be reasonable proof that a person was legally living in the U.S.
The Arizona law approved last month empowers local police to question anyone they suspect of being in the country illegally. It has triggered a heated national debate, touched off protests and prompted some states to look at their own laws.
Meltzer said that when the federal government ignores its border patrol responsibilities, it presents "a financial liability for our states, local communities and schools."
Her plan has already garnered strong reaction.
"This is absolutely unacceptable," said Emily Diaz-Torres, executive director of the new Macomb Hispanic and International Service Center in New Haven. "If it's anything like the Arizona law, we will definitely fight it."
Shelli Weisberg, legislative director for American Civil Liberties Union in Michigan, said the group would fight Meltzer's bill in the Legislature and in court if necessary.
"We don't want an Arizona-style bill. It encourages racial profiling," Weisberg said, adding that such a law would put Michigan out of step with other states.
But Ken Grabowski, legislative director for the Police Officers Association of Michigan, said a law giving local police more authority is "probably something that needs to be done."
"In many instances, if police find someone who is here illegally, they take them to the local (Immigration and Naturalization Service) office, and the person is given an appearance notice for a later date. But nobody ever shows up. It's a farce," he said.
There is no official estimate of the number of illegal immigrants in Michigan, state demographer Ken Darga said, adding that the counting process "is pretty imprecise."
Meltzer said Michigan law enforcement officers have been left with the responsibility to protect the state against those who sneak across the U.S.-Canadian border.
Federal border officials allocated about $20 million a year ago for 11 cameras to be set up along the St. Clair River to watch for illegal immigrants crossing from Canada.
Link to the article. Thoughts?
Re: Discussion: MI lawmaker plans AZ-like immigration bill
I'm torn on this.
I grew up on the AZ/NV border (about 2 hours from Vegas), and my last job was for a construction company in AZ.
I would estimate that only 1/4 of the employes were legal. You can buy some good looking ID cards on the black market. IT really bothered me, but there was not way to 'police' it without qualifing as profiling and racial prejeduce.
I think people should be welcome to come legally. However, I don't think everyone who looks foreign should be subject to police scrutinty to determine their legal status.
I'm not sure the answer.
I'm confused. Are they worried about Canadian's being in Michigan illegally? If they are only worried about the Michigan/Canadian border, I don't see how anyone could use the racial profiling fear as an excuse to not let the law go through.
My thoughts are that there are many people who go through the long naturalization process to become legal, so why should illegals get to stay? They can go through the process to become legal and then stay as long as they'd like. I don't think it's fair to the people who do it the right way.
I agree with Laura. I think the system is flawed, but I don't know as either of these bills are the best fix.
Does MI really have that many illegal immigrants here?
Not to sound ignorant -- I really don't know. Do people want to come here from Canada?
I understand the mexico border issues, but I thought life was comparable in Canada.
Strickly based on the racial profiling fear? Or do you not agree that illegal immigrants should not be sent back to their home country's? Or something else?
The immigration system is definitely broken. I think we need to find a way to make it legal for these people to be here--a guest worker program or something similar. Most illegal immigrants are here to work and want to be productive. I think most of them would come legally if that were an option.
I don't see how this law can be considered anything other than racial profiling. What else, besides appearance, would create reasonable suspicion of being here illegally?
Mostly because of the racial profiling fear. I think you have two options with a law like this and neither are good. The first is that everyone gets stopped at various checkpoints to show proof of citizenship. Everybody loses a lot of freedom in this case. The other option is to only stop those who the police suspect are illegal. As I said above, what would else besides appearance would create such a suspicion?
Obviously people shouldn't be here illegally, but I think the immigration system needs to be fixed rather than just deporting everyone who is not supposed to be here.
I thought this law and the AZ law had nothing to do with reasonable suspicion. I thought that if an officer came across an illegal immigrant doing something against the law (speeding, drinking and driving, drugs, whatever...) then they could deport them.
I didn't realize that someone could be pulled over (legally) for reasonable suspicion. How do you even define that?
Can't that be done anyway? Especially in cases where the person who is stopped is going to be arrested, such as if they had drugs or were driving drunk, couldn't they be turned over to Homeland Security at that time?
As for speeding, no, I don't think police should be able to ask for proof of citizenship if they stop someone for speeding.
I don't know. I thought that was what this law was for.
I thought right now that once they were discovered as illegal, they were just taken to the immigration office where they make an appointment for a hearing, then get released and never show up to their hearing.
I thought the law was proposing that they skip the immigration office visit and just send them home.
I don't believe that they should be allowed to ask for citizenship during a routine stop, but if it is discovered during the stop that they are not a legal citizen, then I don't have a problem with sending them home.
I think that would be the only way this could be done so as to not racial profile... every person pulled over would have to show proof.
As far as having a reason to pull someone over, police officers don't really have to have one now. They can pull you over for practically anything (something hanging from your rearview mirror, a license plate cover, a license plate light out). If you think racial/gender/age profiling isn't done already, then I think you're wrong.
Based on this, I do not agree.
Happens every single day, law or no law.
I know that profiling happens, but it isn't legal and it isn't okay. I don't think we should just give up more rights because profiling happens already.
I guess I don't get it, and maybe I'm just not aware of the immigration problems in Michigan, but I have a hard time believing that Canadians are looking for a free pass to come here. That cannot be a big problem. It has to be something else.
I believe profiling goes on all the time anyway. Police can pull you over for anything, just like LVila said. Heck, they run your plates in some cases before pulling you over, check your record, then find an excuse to pull you over based on priors. But if they want to pull you over, they'll find a reason. And I guess I don't know what the big deal is showing identification anyway by way of a driver's license. That's part of the deal when you get pulled over, no? You prove your identity. At that time if it's discovered it's a fake, well, those are the chances you take with a fake ID. Those are the rules for everyone.
I don't know why we need a law put in place for profiling. It already happens.
I agree with the bolded.
I am confused by the wording of the law. Is showing your driver's license and proving your citizenship two different things?
Something tells me they are the same thing and if that is the case then I agree with the law. I don't think it's wrong to ask for proof that you are legal by simply doing something that is routine (presenting a valid driver's lisence).
A driver's license does not always prove citizenship. It proves identity. Typically proof of citizenship is one of the following: birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, soc sec card, or passport.
I have no problem proving my identity and/or right to drive with a driver's license when stopped for whatever reason.
Also, I don't think automatic deportation is okay if citizenship can't be proven on the spot. The idea of taking away hearings just doesn't sit well with me.
I don't know that a lot of Canadians are looking to go underground in Michigan, but keep in mind that people visit other countries. I don't know for sure, but I've been told that one way Americans get themselves to Cuba is through Canada. And it's not unheard of for people to visit another country with the intention of not leaving when their travel visa is up. I'd imagine that this bill could be popular in Metro-Detroit with people uber-paranoid about the population of people from the Middle East
Here's a bit from the FB page against the AZ law:
"The new law makes it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally. Immigrants unable to produce documents showing they are allowed to be in the U.S. could be arrested, jailed for up to six months and fined $2,500. Other provisions allow lawsuits against government agencies that hinder enforcement of immigration laws, and make it illegal to hire undocumented workers for day labor or knowingly transport them. "
The ital. is notable in that the feds legally take the drivers seat for immigration issues.
All of that said, I sympathize with states on the border of Mexico, as there are some really tough issues to wrestle with. I just don't approve of this outcome.
P.S. I wonder if McCain (Senator from AZ) supported this the first time this bill went around. Would have made for an interesting direction of the country if the election turned out differently.