Arizonans to vote on making unofficial US border crossings a state crime

Law would empower state officials to arrest, prosecute and deport suspected violators sparking concerns of profiling

Arizona voters will be able to decide this November whether to approve a measure that would make it a state crime for migrants to cross the Mexico border into Arizona other than through an official US entry point, the state supreme court has ruled.

If the controversial new law, currently known as Proposition 314, wins voters' favor when they cast their ballots in the presidential election, Arizona would empower local law enforcement officials to arrest and prosecute suspected violators. State judges would also be allowed to issue de facto deportation orders.