South Carolina House Passes Illegal Immigration Legislation

Another day, another state doing the job Washington won’t

A bill that requires police in South Carolina to check suspects’ immigration status and mandates that all businesses check their hires through a federal online system received final legislative approval Tuesday.

The House voted 69-43 to agree with the Senate’s changes and send the bill to Republican Gov. Nikki Haley, whose spokesman confirmed she will sign it.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell noted South Carolina is the latest in a string of states to place similar requirements on law enforcement.

“If Washington refuses to effectively support our law enforcement officers by enforcing immigration laws, it is left up to the states to stand up and do what is right,” said Mr. Harrell (R., Charleston). “That is exactly what South Carolina did today by making sure our officers have the enforcement tools they need during this time of federal indecision.”

The bill expands on a 2008 South Carolina law which at the time was considered one of the nation’s toughest crackdowns on illegal immigration.

Obviously, this has made the ACLU and the typical race baiters very unhappy

Opponents argue the bill will encourage racial profiling and lead to lawsuits. Beyond the possibility of lawsuits by civil rights groups, the measure allows residents to sue local governments that bar or restrict officers from complying.

“We’re setting up another avenue for racial profiling,” said Rep. David Mack (D., North Charleston). “We’re going to have situations of hard-working Americans of a certain color … pulled over for no reason but they’re brown. That’s wrong.”

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing to block similar laws in Arizona, Utah, Indiana, and Georgia. It is planning to sue in Alabama and will sue in South Carolina too, should it become law, said Andre Segura, an ACLU attorney in New York.

“It’s a definite throwback to the pre-civil rights era,” he said. “It really strikes at the heart of American values and makes these states into ‘show-me-your-papers’ states.”

Hey, I’ll have to remember to use that defense the next time I take an airplane trip and they require my ID.

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2 Responses to “South Carolina House Passes Illegal Immigration Legislation”

  1. captainfish says:

    I still don’t understand the left’s defense? The feds can ask for your papers. The feds can ask immigrants for their papers. The police officer can demand your ID during a pullover stop. If you want to not wind up in jail, you better show some ID.

    Now, I am hopeful that SC and these others states that are publishing these types of anti-illegal entry laws, also do not give state IDs to illegals.

    Now, wait a minute.. .this is expanding upon a 2008 law? Now, why havent we heard about this? I thought that Arizona was the first racist anti-mexican state?

    Guess you red-state red-neck bigoted anti-mexican racists are all over the south. Didn’t Arizona go for Obama?!?!?!

  2. Eric Holder will be sure to sue SC in 3..2..2…2.. that’s right, it’s an election year, and suing Arizona didn’t go over to well in 2010.

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