UPDATE: In an interview with Westword, Tancredo says that he does NOT believe that the Arizona bill "would allow police to simply pull someone over because of the color of their skin," and that his quote to KDVR has been taken out of context. He reiterated his support for the legislation.
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Even supporters of Arizona's controversial new immigration law have to think twice when the likes of Tom Tancredo say it goes too far. Tancredo, in an interview with Denver's KDVR TV, said he would welcome a similar bill in Colorado, but expressed concern over certain provisions.
"If I had anything to say about it, we'd be doing it in Colorado," said Tancredo, a former Congressman and Presidential candidate who has made a career as a one of the country's most forceful opponents of illegal immigration.
But the ultra-conservative icon worried that people would be "pulled over because [you] look like should be pulled over."
In a tweet Monday, Tancredo says he "fully support{s}" the Arizona law despite being quoted earlier about concerns over racial profiling.
The new law, which was signed by Governor Jan Brewer on Friday, but isn't scheduled to go into effect until later this summer, requires police to question people about their immigration status-- including asking for identification --if they suspect someone is in the country illegally.
The law has prompted national outrage from civil libertarians, immigrants' rights organizations and Latino groups. Some have even called for a boycott of Arizona.
The Obama administration has condemned the measure, and is investigating legal avenues by which it might prevent the law from taking affect.
Tancredo is notorious for his hardline views on immigration. He recently expressed doubts about the candidacy of Colorado Republican Senate candidate Jane Norton because she said that the country needed a "workable" immigration system, which Tancredo interpreted as being code for amnesty.
Even staunch Conservatives like former House Majority Leader Dick Armey have said that Tancredo is detrimental to the GOP because his extreme stance on immigration alienates Latino voters.