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PHOENIX -- The Arizona House on Tuesday approved a bill to crack down on illegal immigration by making it against state law to be in Arizona without legal immigration documents.
House Republicans advanced the measure on a 35-21 party-line vote. The Senate approved a similar measure in February but must concur to changes made in the House before sending it to Gov. Jan Brewer.
Supporters celebrated the bill as a measure to protect the state from violent criminals. Opponents say it will draw local communities deeper into the fight against illegal immigration and do nothing to keep people safer.
Arizona's struggling economy has driven many illegal immigrants from the state. But as the economy rebounds, "so too will the illegal immigrants -- larger, stronger and more destructive than they were several years ago," said Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills.
"We need to put this law in place now so that when the new illegal immigrants come, we're prepared to do battle with them," he said.
The measure has several provisions. It would:
-- Create a new state misdemeanor crime of willful failure to complete or carry an alien registration document.
-- Allow officers to arrest immigrants unable to show documents proving they're legally in the country.
