Arizona Immigration Legislation Comes to Illinois

By aaroncynic in News on Feb 22, 2011 6:25PM

A bill closely resembling Arizona’s controversial immigration law (SB1070), which requires law enforcement to detain or question anyone suspected of being undocumented, made its way into the Illinois General Assembly last week. Rep. Randy Ramey, Jr., a Republican representing the 55th district, introduced the Taxpayers Protection Act, which would require Illinois law enforcement to make a “reasonable attempt” to determine the immigration status of any person stopped, detained, or arrested before they are released. The bill would also impose penalties on immigrants not carrying residence permits at all times and provides for sanctions against employers that “knowingly or intentionally employ an unauthorized alien.”

As a method of attempting to cover the smell of racial profiling and anti-immigrant sentiment from the bill, HB1969 states that law enforcement “may not consider” race, color or national origin “in implementing the requirements of the Act except to the extent permitted by the U.S. or Illinois Constitution. Progress Illinois and Fox both report that the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is already working opposition to the legislation. The group released a statement saying the bill “continues to spread hatred against immigrants instead of proposing real solutions to fix our immigration system” and plans a rally in Springfield on March 3rd.