Critics say the law encourages racial profiling. Supporters contend the law prohibits using race as the basis for investigating a person's immigration status. Only a week after it had been signed, the law was modified by Arizona House Bill 2162 in an attempt to address these issues.
Although over 70 cities have seen protests over the law, polling shows the law has majority support in not only Arizona, but nationwide.
According to the March 24th nbcsandiego.com article, ''Could California Get Arizona's Immigration Law?'' California has a $26 billion budget gap. Donnelly feels illegal immigration is largely to blame.
Donnelly was quoted as having said in a phone interview: ''The most conservative numbers in California is that it costs us up to $11 billion dollars to provide social services to illegal immigrants.''
According to the March 22nd kpbs.org article, ''CA Assembly Member Introduces Strict Immigration Law,'' AB 26, or the Secure Immigration Enforcement Act, ''would allow citizens to sue any local government that operates as a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants. It would also require every employer in the state to use E-Verify to check on the immigration status of employees.''
Donnelly is also interested in targeting the use of welfare funds by undocumented immigrants. In the same article, he was quoted as saying: ''A third of the welfare recipients in the country reside here in California because we're so generous with our benefits.''
AB 26 would also make smuggling of children across borders a felony.
Some argue the bill has no chance of getting passed. But Donnelly, set to present the bill on April 5th, says response to AB 26 has been ''phenomenal.''
According to the March 24th nbcsandiego.com article, ''Could California Get Arizona's Immigration Law?'' Assemblyman Gil Cedillo (D-45th) was quoted as saying: ''It will die a quick and appropriate death in its first committee, and we will not hear from it again,'' and that, ''During difficult economic times, immigrants are easy targets.''
