RI CONCERNED OVER NEW IMMIGRATION LAW IN ARIZONA

New York, April 25 (ANTARA) - An Indonesian official has expressed concern over a new immigration law issued by the government of Arizona state to overcome an illegal immigrant problems.

"Based on what we know, the new law is a harsh one. We are concerned about the fate of Indonesians there," Indonesian Consul General in Los Angeles Subijaksono Sujono said on Sunday.

The Indonesian consulate general in Los Angels also oversees Arizona besides a few other US states. According to the consulate's records, about 400 Indonesian citizens are staying in Arizona, most of them students.

"Although our citizens are staying there legally, there is the possibility many of them are holding expired stay permits," he said.

Those who are found to have expired stay permits are usually detained for a relatively long time, or about three months, Sujono said.

"After that, they are deported or required to go home at their own expense," the consul general said.

He said the uncomfortable thing was that local police could make sudden arrests of Indonesians even though they had not made any mistake.

"So far, po;ice only make arrests over such violations as traffic offenses but now police have the right to arrest anybody they suspect," he added.

The new immigration law which was signed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer at the end of last week, in principle, authorizes law enforcers to make arrests, prosecute and deport illegal immigrants in Arizona.

The Indonesian consulate general in Los Angeles is responsible for about 51,000 Indonesian citizens in various US states, namely Arizona, South California, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado.

The stay permits of about 40 percent of Indonesian citizens staying in these states were believed to have expired.