Attorney General Bill McCollum unveiled a proposed bill Wednesday
that would require police officers to verify a suspect's immigration
status during all lawful stops, detentions and arrests when reasonable
suspicion exists.
"Arizona is going to want this law," said McCollum. "We're better, we’re stronger, we’re tougher and we’re fairer."
The
law differs from the Arizona law in that it would allow judges to
consider immigration status when setting bail. Illegal immigrants
would also face stiffer criminal sentences than legal residents who
committed the same crime. Unlike the Arizona law, citizens would not be
able to sue law enforcement agencies for not enforcing the law.
Instead, that watchdog role would fall to the state attorney general.
Soliciting employment as an illegal immigrant would also become a crime and Florida businesses would have to to use the federal E-Verify program to confirm their employees' immigration status
Key
parts of Arizona's controversial law were blocked by a federal judge in
July. Bill sponsor Rep. William Snyder, R- Stuart, said he did not
agree with that ruling.
"Some of the things that judge ruled on we will not be fixing in our draft language,” Snyder said.
Racial
profiling would be prohibited under Florida's proposed law, said
McCollum. Reasonable suspicion to inquire about immigration status might
include an altered driver's license or an admission of illegal
residency in the country, he said.
“It's not how you look, it's not what you say,” he said.
Detained illegal immigrants will be turned over to federal immigration officers for deportation, McCollum said.
Snyder said the law is necessary to protect illegal immigrants and to curb drug activity.
"This is the beginning of what I think will be a fairly long and sometimes emotional discussion," he said.
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