What would Martin Niemoller think about Arizona?

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

State Troopers seem to be the ultimate law enforcement agency at all state levels. It seems to me that they have great leeway to enforce all law, both state and federal. You keep saying the AZ law is more restrictive, when it is not. We have already agreed that Federal police agencies (ICE and Border Patrol) have the same authority that they are giving to local and state police agencies in AZ.

In the opinion of many, the AZ law is more restrictive because it create state arrest authority for violations of federal immigration law in situations that do not exist under federal law.

The issue is not state troopers being the ultimate law enforcement agency, but the state legislature and governor enacting a law that says illegal immigration is a state crime...when the Constitution (?) and federal law deem immigration legislation/regulation to be a federal matter...with enforcement support from the state.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Redux

In the opinion of many, the AZ law is more restrictive because it create state arrest authority for violations of federal immigration law in situations that do not exist under federal law.

Illegal immigration is a crime. ICE and Border Patrol arrest and detain persons who are here illegally everyday. The only difference I see is that now a state level or lower duely appointed law enforcement official can now assist the feds in doing the same, arresting and detaining persons for a violation of crime. They arrest people who can be tried under federal law on a daily basis, it just so happens that they are liable to arrest for similar violations at the state level. I don't see how that is more restrictive.