President Barack Obama on Thursday criticized a pending Arizona law that would make it a state crime to be in the United States illegally and require anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant to produce identification.
During remarks at a naturalization ceremony for members of the military, Obama called the legislation “misguided” and warned that it could “threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans.”
Gov. Jan Brewer is nearing a deadline to act o n the measure. Civil rights activists have said the bill would lead to racial profiling and deter Hispanics from reporting crimes. Hundreds of Hispanics protested the legislation at the State Capitol complex on Thursday.
