Immigration Politics - Michigan: Editorial: Don't copy Arizona's foolishness on immigration law

Editorial: Don't copy Arizona's foolishness on immigration law | Detroit Free Press | freep.com: "Bad ideas rarely die in politics; they just get recycled. Such is the case with a plan to give Michigan law enforcement officers the right, with reasonable suspicion, to request proof of immigration status from people stopped or detained for other offenses, including traffic violations.

But the bill introduced last month by state Rep. Dave Agema, a Grandville Republican, goes further, empowering police to arrest someone -- with or without a warrant -- if the officer has probable cause to believe the person has committed an offense that makes him or her deportable. It also requires immigrants to carry their documents with them or face new state misdemeanor charges, including fines or jail time.

Immigration and border control are federal responsibilities. They are ill-served by a hodgepodge of state solutions. As a practical matter, with even deeper cuts in state revenue sharing proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder, local police departments won't have the resources to do their jobs, let alone handle additional duties.

This intrusive bill would almost certainly increase racial profiling by encouraging officers to make arbitrary judgments about what constitutes reasonable suspicion. Such laws have enormous potential for abuse, notwithstanding people's rights to file complaints with police departments or even sue them. ... 

Immigrants contribute mightily to the state economy; most undocumented workers pay payroll, income and state sales taxes, as well as contribute to the Social Security system. The Immigration Policy Center estimates that Michigan would lose more than $3.8 billion in economic activity if all undocumented immigrants were removed from the state. ...

Immigration is, on balance, healthy, and that principle should guide national and state policies. (The) bill does not represent the best of Michigan -- or America.