ONE MAJOR PROBLEM WITH ARIZONA'S NEW LAW

There is a lot of room for discrimination against Hispanics. Here's a round-up of what some local law officers think from the Arizona Daily Star (link expires in one week)

Southern Arizona law enforcement reacts to SB 1070
Posted: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 11:20 pm

• Roberto Villaseñor, Tucson police chief: Withholding public comment to see the final version of the bill and what Gov. Jan Brewer decides to do, said Sgt. Diana Lopez, a Tucson Police Department spokeswoman.

• Richard Muñoz, South Tucson police chief: Opposes the bill, citing concerns about racial profiling and saying it could hinder catching criminals. "With the majority of our population in South Tucson being Hispanic, I think they'll fear reporting crimes to us," Muñoz said. "That will hurt our ability to bring a lot of those criminals to justice." Even if the bill becomes law, he'll make sure officers aren't pulling people over just to check their immigration status.

• Clarence Dupnik, Pima County sheriff: He called the bill nothing more than a meaningless exercise that leaves him and others scratching their heads about what the Legislature thinks. The requirements in the bill go too far and leave the possibility of racial profiling open to law enforcement leaders, depending on how they interpret the law, he said. Deputies already turn over suspected illegal immigrants to the Border Patrol on a regular basis. Arresting more illegal immigrants and putting them in county jails would overwhelm the criminal justice system and cost taxpayers more money. If the governor signs the bill into law, his department won't take any action until the county attorney assesses exactly what deputies must do, must not do and what they may do, he said.

• Larry Dever, Cochise County sheriff: Supports the bill and believes its passage can be traced to the legislators responding to the killing of rancher Robert Krentz on March 27, presumably by a cross-border smuggler. "The alternative is to do nothing, and doing nothing is getting people murdered and maimed and our lives turned upside down," Dever said. "Hysteria" from protesters opposing the bill is misplaced fear and misaligned priorities, Dever said. The measure wouldn't mean too much work for deputies, and it wouldn't generate racial profiling, he said. "Officers on the street will use their discretion," Dever said. "And they will reel in those that needed to be reeled in. They won't be out there doing wholesale immigration roundups."

• Tony Estrada, Santa Cruz County sheriff: The bill is unreasonable, Estrada said, adding that his office can't afford to take on the job of federal immigration agents. "I have told people: 'Don't let this happen, because you will just be doing the federal government's job," Estrada said. "It's not our job. . . . I'm disappointed because they are painting all illegal immigrants with a broad brush," Estrada said. "Everybody is bad; everybody is harmful; everybody is hurting the economy. That is not necessarily true."

• Paul Babeu, Pinal County sheriff: Supports the bill because he thinks the state needs to send a message that those who break the law will be punished. He said he's not worried that county jails would be filled with illegal immigrants.

Brady McCombs, Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services