A joint legislative bill making its way through the Arizona Legislature aims to make illegal immigration a state crime, bypassing federal judicial processes and authorizing local and state police to enforce federal immigration law — a proposed legislation that has received strong opposition as critics say it mirrors what once was Senate Bill 1070, the controversial “show me your papers” law.
The Arizona Invasion Act (House Bill 2748, SB 1231), introduced by Republicans Sen. Janae Shamp and Rep. Joseph Chaplik, would classify the crossing of undocumented immigrants outside of a legal port of entry at the southern Arizona border as a state crime, would allow local judges to decide immigration cases and would provide civil immunity to local agents for damages resulting from actions taken during enforcement of this law.
The bills await review from the Rules Committee in both the House and Senate before being heard on the floor of both legislative bodies.
On Monday, Chaplik said the proposed joint legislation comes as southern Arizona has seen an uptick in migrant encounters and would support law enforcement efforts in border towns, as he championed his bill before the Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee.