About a dozen major city police chiefs will meet today with Attorney General Eric Holder to oppose the controversial Arizona immigration law that they fear could drive a wedge between the community and local law enforcement, reports USA Today. The coalition, including officials from Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Tucson, is the largest group of officers to speak against the measure, set to take effect July 29.
“This law is the culmination of a very broken immigration system,” Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris said. “It doesn’t fix the immigration problem, it only diverts our scarce resources.” Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said, “All of us [] are opposed to this,” adding that the law will likely discourage witnesses and victims of crimes from cooperating with police. “This bill breaks the trust with our communities.” Five federal lawsuits challenging the law have been filed since Gov. Jan Brewer signed it last month. Holder is weighing a similar lawsuit on behalf of the federal government.