8/02/2010

Va. AG: Cops can ask immigration status

Despite last weeks Federal court decision on Arizona's immigration law, Virginia's Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has stated what should be obvious. So is the Obama administration going to challenge Virginia's law? This seems awfully similar to Arizona's law.

Virginia law enforcement officials can ask the immigration status of those they stop or arrest, the state's Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has ruled.

In a legal opinion written in response to a request from conservative Del. Bob Marshall (R-Prince William), Cuccinelli ruled that police officers and other legal authorities can look into the immigration status of anyone stopped or arrested.

A 2008 Virginia law requires that law enforcement check the immigration status of anyone taken into custody on suspicion of having committed a crime. Cuccinelli's opinion could expand such inquiries to those who have been stopped by law enforcement for a traffic violation or at a police checkpoint, for example.


This next paragraph makes it obvious that the Washington Post doesn't know what Arizona's law is.

Virginia activists are seeking enact legislation similar to that adopted in Arizona that required law enforcement officials ton ask about the immigration status those they have "reasonable suspicion" might be in the country illegally.

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1 Comments:

Blogger Martin G. Schalz said...

The AG's opinion on this matter is in step with normal law enforcement activities.

When a person is pulled over for any reason, their name in entered into the LEIN (Law Enforcement Information Network), and should there be any outstanding warrants, that person is taken into custody of course. With that in mind, what's the difference between a warrant check, and or a check to determine if a person is legally in our country?

8/04/2010 11:45 AM  

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