King calls attacks on Arizona law 'self-righteous'
Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) listens to a question at a hearing in New York. (Feb. 12, 2010) Credit: Craig Ruttle
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York City Council members' attacks on Arizona's new tough immigration law prompted Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) to pronounce his fellow elected officials "self-righteous."
King said he hasn't combed the law requiring police demand citizenship papers from anyone they reasonably suspect is here illegally. But he understands it to be "similar to what the federal government should be doing."
"It's easy for us sitting thousands of miles away," he said Thursday after being named chairman of the House GOP's new National Security Solutions Group. "The only problem we're going to have in New York is too-crowded neighborhoods, maybe some extra crime, whatever, assuming the worst."
"I'm not immigrant-bashing . . . 90 percent of them are good people," King added. "But in Arizona, I mean, they're almost under siege" from drug smugglers, people smugglers and terrorists crossing the border, he said. "I think a lot of people in New York are being very self-righteous about this."
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