HARRISBURG -- State Reps. Daryl Metcalfe and Harry Readshaw think Pennsylvania should follow Arizona's lead and "protect its borders and citizens" by giving local and state police more power to arrest, detain and eventually deport foreigners who have entered the state illegally and don't have proper registration papers.
Mr. Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, Mr. Readshaw, D-Carrick, and several other legislators today promoted House Bill 2479, which would direct a police officer "to attempt to verify the immigration status of suspected illegal aliens."
However, an officer could not stop a suspected illegal immigrant for no reason -- as critics of the new Arizona law have claimed, Mr. Metcalfe said. An officer would have to have a reason for checking a suspected illegal alien's papers, such as if the alien was driving too fast, ran a red light, or was arrested for a break-in.
The bill also would create a new third-degree misdemeanor "for illegal aliens who violate federal law by either willfully failing to register as an alien or failing to possess proper proof of such registration when stopped for another primary offense, such as a traffic violation."
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