Deine Papiere, Bitte?

The Arizona legislature has passed a bill authorizing the police to stop and interrogate anybody they suspect of being an undocumented immigrant. Anti-immigrant activists are overjoyed.

The bill's author, State Sen. Russell Pearce, said it simply "takes the handcuffs off of law enforcement and lets them do their job." But police were deeply divided on the matter, with police unions backing it but the state police chief's association opposing the bill, contending it could erode trust with immigrants who could be potential witnesses. Immigrant rights groups were horrified, and contended that Arizona would be transformed into a police state. "It's beyond the pale," said Chris Newman, legal director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. "It appears to mandate racial profiling." The bill, known as SB 1070, makes it a misdemeanor to lack proper immigration paperwork in Arizona.

It also requires police officers, if they form a "reasonable suspicion" that someone is an illegal immigrant, to determine the person's immigration status. Currently, officers can inquire about someone's immigration status only if the person is a suspect in another crime. The bill allows officers to avoid the immigration issue if it would be impractical or hinder another investigation. Citizens can sue to compel police agencies to comply with the law, and no city or agency can formulate a policy directing its workers to ignore the law -- a provision that advocates say prevents so-called sanctuary orders that police not inquire about people's immigration status.

GOP Gov. Jan Brewer is expected to sign the bill.