Other States To Follow Arizona’s Tough Immigration Laws

Last year Arizona lawmakers passed a bill that allows law enforcement to seek documentation of the immigration status of people if they appeared “reasonably suspicious”. Individuals who are unable to provide proper identification and documentation can be arrested until they are able to verify their legal status in the country. It also makes it illegal to transport day workers across the border if they do not have the proper permissions to work in the country. This bill became highly controversial. Opponents say this bill violates the constitution by discriminating against the Latino population. The argument is that you can’t tell if someone is illegally in the United States simply by looking at them, therefore you must resort to racial profiling to find just cause to question the legal status of an individual. Those that are proponents of the bill justify the bill by saying it will keep the state of Arizona safe. This is partly in response to the increase in violence along the Mexican border. What implications does this have for Latinos that are legal in this country but are unable to provide documentation at the time of questioning?

In some cases, an arrest may be in the cards, landing an individual in jail or a detention center until he or she is able to provide proper legal documentation proving that they are citizens or have permission to work and/or live in the United States. Even if we do not agree with the bill that Arizona passed, the ramifications of the law must be dealt with. If you are arrested because of the enactment of this law it is important to know your rights and to provide legal documentation as quickly as possible. If deemed necessary, you can contact a bail bonds agent, who will be familiar with immigration laws, to bail you out of jail.

It appears that Arizona may have started a trend that other states desire to follow. Arizona may have started the ball rolling by implementing such a tough bill, but other states might not be far behind, despite the Federal backlash. Following Arizona’s lead, close to 22 states have decided to “crackdown” on immigration laws. Some of these states include:

• • Ohio
  • Michigan
  • Pennsylvania
  • New Jersey
  • Colorado
  • Alabama
  • Texas

Several of these states wish to push the law further than Arizona did by requiring law enforcement to check immigration status. Some states, such as Oklahoma wish to enforce the right to retain vehicles used to transport anyone that is an illegal immigrant. Among the states that are following Arizona’s lead, several wish to require that each employer verify the immigration status of each individual worker. Whether or not these laws come to fruition, it is important to stay on top of what lawmakers wish to do in various states across the country. If you are an immigrant, it is crucial that you know exactly what your status is and keep proof of your