Utah civil rights activists say Arizona immigration bill would go too far

SALT LAKE CITY — A tough new immigration statute that's working its way toward the law books in Arizona could expose Utah travelers, and other visitors to the state, to unprecedented enforcement powers by local law officers.

Under the changes proposed in SB1070, which likely will be headed to the desk of Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer in the coming days, police officers are required to question people about their immigration status whenever there is a "reasonable suspicion" that the people are unlawfully present in the U.S.

Civil rights activists said the law is the toughest in the nation and will invite racial profiling.

What it means for Utahns traveling across their southern border into Arizona is that any traffic stop, or encounter with a local, county or state law enforcement officer, could lead to a shakedown for proof of legal presence. Tony Yapias, an advocate for immigrant rights in Utah, said the law goes too far.

"I think it's just an extreme approach to enforcing immigration law," Yapias said. "This is an issue that has to be dealt with at the federal level."

Yapias said he had no doubt race issues will be a part of how the new statute is enforced if it becomes law and it will have a negative impact regardless of a person's immigration status.

"Just being a Latino, you're going to be targeted in Arizona," Yapias said. "The cops can stop you for almost any reason and demand documentation. That will elevate racial profiling big-time, and it won't even matter whether you're a citizen or not."

Yapias said he's already heard concerns from members of the Latino community in Utah and may issue cautions about travel to Arizona if the law is enacted.

American Civil Liberties Union of Utah director Karen McCreary said Wednesday that the Arizona proposal "goes beyond any current law" that she's seen in the country. Her counterpart at the ACLU of Arizona, director Alessandra Soler Meetze, issued a statement Wednesday warning that some clauses in the proposal are likely unconstitutional. She noted that it will effectively require citizens to "carry their papers" at all times.

"Instead of working on real solutions to the immigration crisis, our legislators have devised a proposal that is full of shortcuts," Meetze said. "Contrary to what proponents of SB1070 say, the bill does not prohibit officers from relying on race or ethnicity in deciding who to investigate. Police untrained in the complexities of immigration law have a green light to harass anyone who looks or sounds foreign."