Force behind Arizona’s ‘show me your papers’ law dead at 75
PHOENIX (AP) — Russell Pearce, a Republican lawmaker who was the driving force behind Arizona’s landmark 2010 immigration legislation known as the “show me your papers” law and other anti-immigrant measures, has died. He was 75.
Pearce’s family said on social media that he died Thursday at his home in Mesa, Arizona, after falling ill.
Pearce rose to brief national prominence more than a decade ago while advocating for tougher border policies for Arizona, one of the busiest hubs for illegal immigration in the United States. He was the lead sponsor of Senate Bill 1070, which required law enforcement officers to inquire about suspects’ immigration status if they had reason to believe they were in the U.S. illegally.
A special recall election in November 2011 ousted Pearce from the state Senate, where he had served as president. In 2012, Pearce lost a comeback bid in the Republican primary for a state Senate seat.
Legal challenges were filed over SB 1070’s constitutionality and its compliance with civil rights law. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the provision requiring immigration status checks during law enforcement stops but struck down three other provisions.
Before he was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2000, Pearce worked many years for the Maricopa County sheriff’s office, rising to become chief deputy to then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was nationally known for his anti-immigration policies.
Pearce embraced those policies as well, at one point even claiming credit for Arpaio’s infamous complex of jail tents.
“My condolences go out to the family, friends, and many supporters of Russell Pearce, a patriot, law enforcement official, and Arizona state senate president, who passed away today,” Arpaio wrote on his Facebook account. “He served with honor and integrity at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. I’m proud to have appointed him as my chief deputy. He will be sorely missed.”
Pearce later served as director of the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division and more recently worked for the Maricopa County Treasurer’s Office.
There was no immediate word on funeral arrangements.
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Associated Press writer Jacques Billeaud contributed to this report.