News may travel fast, but the news of what is actually in that celebrated Arizona immigration law seems not to have reached the Obama administration. On Sunday television, Attorney General Holder, reflecting similar comments from the president, worried that the law would create "a slippery slope where people will be picked on because of how they look as opposed to what they have done."
But the Arizona law specifies that an immigration check can only be performed where someone is already involved in a "lawful stop, detention or arrest." Only then, and only when there is also "reasonable suspicion" that the person may be here illegally should a "reasonable effort be made to ascertain immigration status."
And what can constitute reasonable suspicion? It's a legal term well known to cops and courts. But under the Arizona law, there's some things reasonable suspicion cannot be. The law specifies that no immigration complaints shall be investigated "based on race, color or national origin."
Still, Holder thinks people may be picked on because of how they look and says this must be avoided "at all costs." Speaking of costs, Arizona is bearing all the costs now, to include an estimated 460,000 illegal aliens in the state, and immigration-related crime that has made Phoenix second only to Mexico City as the kidnapping capital of the world.
— Brit Hume is the senior political analyst for Fox News Channel.
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