Florida AG drafts 'Arizona style' law

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Florida officials introduced a draft "Arizona style" bill requiring police to verify immigration status when they have "reasonable suspicion" of illegal status.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and State Rep. Bill Snyder, R-Stuart, Wednesday introduced the bill, which would require the detention of anyone found to be in the country illegally, while illegal aliens "not under arrest for some other crime" would be turned over to federal authorities for deportation, the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post reported.

The bill would also increase penalties by 50 percent for illegal aliens found guilty of crimes and makes seeking employment in Florida by an illegal alien a misdemeanor.

"This is our law, not their law. Arizona is going to want our law," McCollum said, saying the Florida measure avoids some of the pitfalls that led a federal judge to block portions of Arizona's law.