Gov.-elect Rick Scott said he hadn't seen the immigration bill recently filed by Sen. Mike Bennett, but he's supportive of the concept of stopping citizens to ask them to show identification.
Scott, who was in Washington D.C. today meeting with the Florida congressional delegation and will meet with the President Obama tomorrow, along with other newly-elected governors, said he first wants the federal government to "secure our borders."
"We need to come up with an immigration policy that workds for the country,'' he said. "Finally, if you're stopped in our state -- no different than if you're asked for your ID -- you should be able to be asked if you're legal or not."
Bennett's measure would allow law enforcement officers if ask anyone arrested or detained for their immgration documents if they suspect the detainee is in the country illegally. Bennett believes it will not lead to racial profiling because law enforcement may not stop people solely on the suspicion they they are in the country illegally. The proposal takes it a step farther, however, by proposing to fine legal immigrants who refuse to carry their documentation, with a possible fine of up to $100 and a 20-day jail sentence.
Comments