by Joan McCarter
Not to allow his state to be outdone in extremism by Arizona, Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli has
has determined that Virginia police can "check immigration status of anyone stopped or arrested in the state."
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli wrote the opinion at the request of State Delegate Bob Marshall, a Republican who hopes to enact stricter anti-illegal immigration measures. This wasn’t Cuccinelli’s first act in support of Arizona’s SB 1070 immigration law — he also filed a “friend of the court” brief supporting Arizona in its legal challenge....
The ruling does not authorize officers to make arrests for civil violations of immigration laws, unless they have been given authorization from federal authorities.
Cuccinelli's
ruling is legal guidance for Virginia law enforcement rather than a requirement that they check for documentation of anyone stopped by police, but "provides law enforcement the legal authority to begin checking the status of immigrants immediately, if they wish."
Think Progress:
Most Arizonans Believe SB-1070 Will Heighten Racism, White Supremacist Groups On The Rise