A bill moving fast through the Arizona Senate would allow local police to arrest and incarcerate someone for "trespassing" into the territory of the state.
"The federal government is not doing its job so we're going to do it," said Sen. Russell Pearce (R-Mesa), author of the bill, which is called the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhood Act.
On Wednesday, the Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee approved SB 1070. Pearce said he is confident that the bill would clear the Legislature and have the support of Gov. Jan Brewer.
During her State of the State speech, the Republican governor mentioned specifically that she would be working with Pearce to "enhance the existing penalties for any criminal alien who returns to our state."
The trespassing bill would make it a misdemeanor to be in the state illegally. A person arrested twice under the law would be charged with a felony. The Arizona bill includes a number of provisions, including one proscribing "sanctuary polices," and restricting any government agency or city from limiting immigration enforcement.