A controversial state Senate bill moved forward in January that would allow police to stop and arrest anyone "reasonably" suspected of being in the country illegally.
Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, introduced the bill, which passed 4-3, with Republicans in the majority. The vote sends the bill to the full Senate.
Some of the provisions within the bill allow law enforcement to target individuals and businesses responsible for knowingly employing, housing or transporting illegal immigrants.
The bill would also make it a crime to pick up people and hire them for a "day labor" job.
Anyone found to be here illegally or responsible for employing, housing or transporting illegal immigrants faces fines of $500 to $5,000 and jail time.
As of 2009, the Center for Immigration Studies reports that 10.8 million people are living in the country illegally.
Within Arizona, 15 percent of convicted felons are illegal immigrants, according to December statistics from The Arizona Department of Corrections. Further, the Pew Hispanic Center reports that as of 2008, one in seven Arizona students is here illegally.
Those opposed to the bill say that it would increase racial profiling because law enforcement officers will be able to arrest someone based solely on "suspicion" of being in the country illegally. The bill would not require special training for officers to identify such people.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona released a statement on its Web site opposing the bill.
"This bill goes beyond just enlisting the help of local police agencies to enforce immigration laws," said Alessandra Soler Meetze of ACLU of Arizona the day after the bill advanced.
"The legislation would also lead to the unjustified detention of many citizens and legal residents and encourage law enforcement to place a discriminatory focus of their investigations on Latino residents," Meetze said. "This would expose municipalities to additional civil litigation."
