Arizona is one of the U.S. states that has fought the most against illegal immigration in recent years, even at the expense of legislation which have been harshly criticized, such as the controversial SB-1070 law in 2010, which was finally suspended for violating the civil rights of immigrants in the United States.
Now, three years after being established in the collective imaginations of immigrants as one of the most difficult places to live in, Arizona legislators have promoted a law project that might reduce the number of deportations if approved.
According to Voxxi, legislators and organizations in favor of immigrant rights presented a law proposal to the Arizona Assembly which has the main objective of preventing policemen from handing immigrants without criminal records to immigration services, a measure that would considerably reduce the number of deportations in the state.
Promoted by Arizona state legislator Juan Méndez, the HB-2655 law project, also known as the "Trust Act", was presented on Monday in a press conference in front of the state Capitol, as reported byThe Huffington Post.
According to the same source, the measure pretends to change the negative image that recent anti-immigrant and homosexual laws has spread among thousands in the U.S. and other parts of the world.
"Arizona is known as a state of hate, but with a process of trust and reconciliation this will be a trustworthy place again," said Méndez during the presentation act for the new law project, a ceremony which gathered civil organizations from 21 states.
With a state legislature controlled by the Republican Party, Méndez acknowledged that the chances of his initiative being approved are low; however, the legislator considered that this is a first step in changing the state's image.
It will be in the upcoming days that the destiny of the new law initiative will be decided in Arizona's legislature; however, with precedents of similar laws in Massachusetts, Illinois and Maryland, the HB-2655 law projects might find some hope to be approved, according to KTAR.