The Washington Times
The author of a House bill that would give 600,000 state and local police officers the authority to enforce federal immigration law has called on immigrant-rights advocates who converged on Capitol Hill this week to "stand up for immigrants, not criminals."
Rep. Charlie Norwood, Georgia Republican, said the National Council of La Raza and other groups taking part in a week-long rally in Washington and 68 other cities should "come clean" on their opposition to the pending legislation.
"While La Raza and that crowd storm the countryside to rail against the enforcement of immigration laws in this nation, the light of hope held by immigrants and others wanting to live in neighborhoods free from criminal aliens and their violent crimes just grew a little dimmer," said Mr. Norwood, whose Clear Law Enforcement for Alien Removal Act (CLEAR Act) would, among other things, give state and local police the authority to enforce immigration law.