Several conservative lawmakers are warning that they will not support President Bush’s proposal to legalize some undocumented immigrants unless a newly introduced bill is approved.  The Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal (CLEAR) Act would not only allow federal agents to ask about a person’s immigration status but also let local police get involved.  Currently, local police are not allowed to inquire about someone’s status. 

Under the CLEAR Act, cities and states could lose some federal grants if their police refuse to help the Department of Homeland Security track down illegal immigrants for deportation.  The bill calls on local and state police to enact policies that let officers ask for immigration papers as easily as they do driver’s licenses.  If an immigrant is found to be undocumented, the local officers could arrest him or her.

More than 115 lawmakers have co-sponsored the bill, claiming that local and state police are the first line of defense and would supplement overburdened federal immigration agents.

Some police officials, however, say that making the CLEAR Act a law would be counterproductive, and some immigration advocates are working to defeat the bill.

The ACLU and other critics of the CLEAR Act doubt that local police would receive adequate training to properly fulfill their new duties, and worry that racial profiling would occur if police assume all immigrants are here illegally.

Congress has held hearings on the proposal, which is in committee.