Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) called on Arizona Governor Jan Brewer to veto a new anti-immigration bill that, under Arizona law, would allow law enforcement officials to arrest anyone on "reasonable suspicion" that they are undocumented immigrants.
"The governor of Arizona should veto the bill, and if she doesn't, the President of the United States, Barack Obama, should assert federal government's preeminent role regulating and enforcing our nation's immigration laws," Gutierrez said.
The Illinois Democrat said that the Arizona law is in breach of the Constitution and violates the rights of American citizens.
“The lunacy of rounding up people because they look a certain way or are suspected of being in violation of immigration statutes can only lead to one thing violations of people’s basic, fundamental civil rights. Profiling,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez also called on President Obama and said "the President needs to begin to work harder and bring the people together so we can get this process started in the Senate [and] it must begin immediately."
Gutierrez said that the summer months between Memorial Day and Independence Day would be the only chance for a comprehensive immigration bill to be passed saying "the Judiciary Committee will begin its work on getting the next Supreme Court Justice and we won't be able to deal at a judiciary level with a comprehensive immigration bill."
Democrat Urges President to Push Immigration Reform
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) called on Arizona Governor Jan Brewer to veto a new anti-immigration bill that, under Arizona law, would allow law enforcement officials to arrest anyone on "reasonable suspicion" that they are undocumented immigrants.
"The governor of Arizona should veto the bill, and if she doesn't, the President of the United States, Barack Obama, should assert federal government's preeminent role regulating and enforcing our nation's immigration laws," Gutierrez said.
The Illinois Democrat said that the Arizona law is in breach of the Constitution and violates the rights of American citizens.
“The lunacy of rounding up people because they look a certain way or are suspected of being in violation of immigration statutes can only lead to one thing violations of people’s basic, fundamental civil rights. Profiling,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez also called on President Obama and said "the President needs to begin to work harder and bring the people together so we can get this process started in the Senate [and] it must begin immediately."
Gutierrez said that the summer months between Memorial Day and Independence Day would be the only chance for a comprehensive immigration bill to be passed saying "the Judiciary Committee will begin its work on getting the next Supreme Court Justice and we won't be able to deal at a judiciary level with a comprehensive immigration bill."