Arizona-type immigration law introduced

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As expected, a bill mirroring Arizona’s controversial immigration law has been introduced at the state Capitol.

Sen. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs, introduced Senate Bill 54 on Wednesday. It is Similar to Arizona Senate Bill 1070, the proposal would allow police to arrest any individual they have “probable cause” to believe is an illegal immigrant who faces deportation, is subject to a detainer issued by the Department of Homeland Security, has been indicted or convicted of aggravated a felony, or has failed to register with the U.S. government as required by law.

Current state law requires police to report suspected undocumented immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) only when they are arrested on suspicion of another crime. The new law would allow police to arrest anyone they suspect of being undocumented.

Lambert and other Republican lawmakers told Boulder Weekly in early August that they planned to introduce such a bill.

In response, the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) issued a statement urging its supporters to contact the members of the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, to which the bill has been assigned.

%u2028“At a time when most Coloradans are concerned about jobs and the economy, it is mind-boggling that a handful of Colorado senators would pursue the same divisive legislation that has cost the state of Arizona millions in lost tourism revenue and wasted taxpayer dollars on endless lawsuit challenges,” CIRC Executive Director Julien Ross said in a press release. “Colorado should learn from the mistakes of Arizona and instead pursue immigration policies that reaffirm our reputation as a welcoming and business-friendly state. Rather than pushing immigrants further into the shadows, as Senate Bill 54 would do, Colorado should embrace policies that build trust and cooperation between immigrant communities and local and state law enforcement. Such community policing is essential to victims and witnesses reporting and helping to solve crimes and ensuring overall public safety.”

No date has been set yet for a hearing on the bill, according to the Senate calendar for the next week.

The bill likely faces an uphill battle in the Democratically controlled Senate.