According to Tuscon Police Department's Chief of Police Roberto Villaseñor, SB1070, an immigration law that has received heavy backlash from immigration activists, has been successful in its goal of scaring undocumented immigrants.

The law went to effect in 2010, EFE reports. Since then, the state's Hispanic community has continued its fight against the law, saying that police officers use it abusively. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed at least two claims of excessive enforcement against the police department, Tuscon Sentinel reports.

Villaseñor argues that the law was meant to scare immigrants, and it has.

"This law was originally designed so that undocumented immigrants would be afraid of the police, be afraid of coming to ask for help, feel themselves to be a target, and in that sense I think that the law was successful, given that some of them have left the state voluntarily," he told EFE.

SB1070 is very controversial, however. Especially under scrutiny is Section 2(B), commonly known as the "show me your papers" provision. This means that police officers can ask for proof of status from those they "suspect" are undocumented.

Villaseñor said his department does not discriminate against immigrants and is required to contact Border Patrol as soon as they have probable cause that they have identified an undocumented immigrant.

"The idea exists that the police have the option to call the Border Patrol or not, but the truth is that we don't," Villaseñor explained.

According to data by the Tucson Police Department, from June 12 through Aug. 10, 3,109 people's immigration statuses were verified under the law. The Border Patrol responded 45 times and took 24 immigrants into custody.

The police department also reports that 43.1 percent of those whose status was verified under the law were Hispanic. Villaseñor said this makes sense considering the town's Hispanic population.

Meanwhile, protestors continue to fight SB1070. On Aug. 6, about 60 people protested the arrest of Geraldo Ruiz-Lopez, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who was arrested under the law, KGUN9 reported.


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Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @ScharHar.

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