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Slack may be justified

The Spokesman-Review

Patrick Bonner states (Letters, May 25) that Washington cuts California slack because California is a leftist state. He further states “California has the same type of law that gives law enforcement authority to determine if a foreign national of any country has the legal right to be in this country.”

There is one very important difference between the law in Arizona and the law in California. In California law enforcement can only check immigration status after someone has been arrested. In Arizona any lawful contact with a person by law enforcement, even if they are just a witness to a crime or a car accident or are a victim of a crime, requires the officer to check immigration status if they have reason to believe that person may be here illegally.

This is not a small distinction.

Randy Meyer

Spokane

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