The controversy about racial discrimination surrounding the immigration bill passed in Arizona, which will permit police officers to detain people they expect are illegal immigrants, has gained student attention on campus.

A rally against the law will take place Saturday at 11 a.m. outside the Champaign County Courthouse, thrown by The I-Dream Coalition.

The bill, which was passed on April 23, requires immigrants to carry their immigration papers on them, and police officers can ask for identification of anyone they suspect may be illegal.

“I think it stems from xenophobic and racist views. It’s reminiscent of Nazi times, when Nazis would walk around and ask for papers, so that gives you an idea from the types of attitudes behind this legislation,” said Jose Sanchez, sophomore in LAS and secretary of La Colectiva, Registered Student Organization.

He said the Latino community fears that they will be targeted because of stereotypes of illegal immigrants being of Mexican or Latino heritage.

“Everybody should have the right to privacy and security,” Sanchez said.

Similar laws are being considered in Texas and Colorado, he said, and he hopes the uproar being caused nationwide by the Arizona law will prevent that.

“It’s one of those laws that is dividing us, not only as a nation but creating more racial tensions and hatred, because we’re clearly being targeted, “ said Brenda Rodriguez, member of La Colectiva.

The law is discriminatory, she said, because it portrays that an immigrant, legal or illegal, has a certain look to them.

“I think it surged out of very narrow-minded ideas,” Rodqiguez said. “The fact that it’s targeting a specific group is not only demeaning, but it’s discriminatory.”

This law affects the whole nation, regardless of race, said Manny Diaz, freshman in DGS.

“It’s the Jim Crowe law all over again,” Diaz said.

The I-Dream Coalition is a collaboration of three student groups: La Colectiva, Movimiento Estudiantil Chacana/o de Aztlan , and Unidos Nuestra Fuerza Avanzara Siempre.