Representative Linda Sanchez: White Supremacist Groups Behind Arizona Immigration Law

The audio's available at Whittier Daily News, "Linda Sanchez says white supremacist groups behind Arizona immigration law."

But see Fox News, "Congresswoman: White Supremacist Groups Behind Arizona Immigration Law":

A California congresswoman is pointing the finger at white supremacist groups, who she says have inspired Arizona's new law cracking down on illegal immigrants.

Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., told a Democratic Club on Tuesday that white supremacist groups are influencing lawmakers to adopt laws that will lead to discrimination.

"There's a concerted effort behind promoting these kinds of laws on a state-by-state basis by people who have ties to white supremacy groups," said the lawmaker, who is of Mexican descent. "It's been documented. It's not mainstream politics."

Sanchez said front organizations for white supremacist groups are approaching lawmakers to propose the language to the bills and urging them to push them through state legislatures in an effort to legalize discrimination.

"It creates a Jim Crow system where based on the color of your skin you could be treated as a second-class citizen or harassed based on how you look," she said.

The Arizona law, which makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally, requires police enforcing any other law to question people about their immigration status if there is "reasonable suspicion" that they are in the country illegally.

Supporters of the law say it will save taxpayer money and reduce crime by pressuring illegal immigrants to self-deport. But critics say the law is unconstitutional and promotes racial profiling.

Rep. Gary Miller, R-Calif., told the Whittier Daily News, which first reported the story, that Sanchez's comments are "an outrageous accusation."

"It's trying to find somebody somewhere you can accuse of something," Miller told the newspaper. "It's red herring. (She's) trying to change the debate from what the law says."

A spokesman for Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who will meet with President Obama Thursday to discuss immigration and border security, also criticized Sanchez's comments.

UPDATE: There's now a thread at Memeorandum. See Gateway Pundit, "Racist Lib Linda Sanchez: White Supremists Behind Arizona Immigration Law (Audio)," and Weasel Zippers, "Unreal: Dem Rep Linda Sanchez Says White Supremacist Groups Behind Arizona Immigration Law…"

RELATED: "LAUSD Condemns Arizona's SB 1070: Students to Be Indoctrinated Against 'Unconstitutional Racial Profiling and Harassment'."