Preposterous as Quasimodo's claim may sound, this crude and offensive rule of thumb has, in many states, become the rule of law. Legislation in Alabama, Arizona and elsewhere gives police the right to check the immigration status of those they 'suspect' of being undocumented.
This has effectively given bigots with badges a licence to go hunting with impunity for "wild dogs". Earlier this week a Justice Department investigation into Maricopa County, Arizona (which includes Phoenix) found the sheriff's department conducting raids against illegal immigrants because "dark-skinned" people speaking Spanish were reported congregating in an area.
