New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson Says Arizona Law Will OK Racial Profiling

Appearing on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico criticized Arizona’s SB 1070 for what he says will “ok” racial profiling. 

Richardson also said the anti-immigrant legislation could send the country into a “constitutional crisis.”

“It is going to lead to racial profiling. Anybody that looks Hispanic is going to be racially profiled,” Richardson said.

The governor debated the controversial bill with GOP Senate candidate J.D. Hayworth.  Hayworth is the former Arizona representative who is trying to win the GOP primary in his state against Sen. John McCain.

Countering Hayworth’s argument that the law itself explicitly forbids ethnic profiling, Richardson implied the former representative did not understand the dangers of the bill since Hayworth would not be a target.

“Who are they going to ask? They’re going to ask somebody that looks Hispanic,” Richardson said. “They’re not going to ask somebody that looks like J.D. Hayworth. They’re going to ask somebody that looks like me.”

Richardson said at least 10 other states have bills in the works similar to Arizona’s. “What you’re going to see is potentially a constitutional crisis with so many states taking what should be a federal responsibility.” 

The New Mexico governor will host a conference in his state with several Mexican border governors who originally boycotted the conference which was set to take place in Arizona.  Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer cancelled the conference when the Mexican delegation refused to travel to her state, but Richardson stepped up to host it saying Brewer did not have authority to cancel it. 

The controversial anti-immigration law is set to take effect at the end of the month.  It would require that law enforcement officials question the legal status of a person if they have “reasonable suspicion.”

NY Daily News