DENVER (AP/CBS4) – A Colorado House panel voted Monday to scrap a divisive 2006 law requiring Colorado police to report suspected illegal immigrants to federal authorities.

The 9-2 vote came amid complaints that it isn’t needed in an era of increased federal immigration enforcement.

“Requiring local public safety agencies to act as federal immigration agents is a drain on resources and community trust,” said Rep. Joe Salazar, D-Denver, who is pushing to repeal the law and has the support of law enforcement in Colorado.

Law enforcement officials testified that the Colorado law has been made redundant Secure Communities, a federal program that uses fingerprints collected in jails to identify illegal immigrants who have been arrested.

“In the interest of government efficiency, we should get rid of the current system,” said Greenwood Village Police Chief John Jackson.

The system has been criticized for being counterproductive and creating extra paperwork. Officers say the law makes immigrants – legal and illegal – afraid to report crime or testify in court.

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