US’s toughest immigration law

The Arizona law,he added,threatened “to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans,as well as the trust between police and our communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe”.

The law,which proponents and critics alike said was the broadest and strictest immigration measure in generations,would make the failure to carry immigration documents a crime and give the police broad power to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally. Opponents have called it an open invitation for harassment and discrimination against Hispanics in particular regardless of their citizenship status.

As demonstrators massed at the Capitol Plaza,the Governor,at a state building,said the law “represents another tool for our state to use as we work to solve a crisis we did not create and the federal government has refused to fix”. The law was to take effect 90 days after the legislative session ends,meaning by August.

While police demands of documents are common in public places,Arizona is the first state to demand that immigrants meet federal requirements to carry identity documents legitimising their presence on US soil. Brewer acknowledged critics’ concerns,saying she would ensure that the police have proper training to carry out the law.