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Tuesday, June 6, 2006 · Last updated 1:59 p.m. PT

Colorado governor signs bill creating patrol unit on immigrant smugglers

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DENVER -- Colorado Gov. Bill Owens signed bills Tuesday establishing a state patrol unit to crack down on human smuggling and requiring state contractors to verify the immigration status of new hires.

"There are few crimes more heinous than the smuggling and trafficking of human beings," Owens said. "Enforcement is a key element in the state's efforts to stop this appalling practice."

The new 24-member unit will be an addition to the patrol and will not divert troopers from other work, Colorado State Patrol Chief Mark Trostel said. He said the unit will eventually include 20 troopers.

Last week, Owens signed two other bills making human smuggling and human trafficking felonies.

Human smuggling was already a crime under federal law, but state law-enforcement agencies and immigration critics complained that federal authorities haven't been tough enough on people who transport illegal immigrants in crowded vans and trucks.

Under the second bill signed Tuesday, contractors doing business with the state are required to use a federal database to verify that new employees are in the country legally. Contractors who knowingly hire illegal immigrants could lose their state contracts.

The measures were among just a few immigration bills to survive after the Legislature spent weeks wrestling with the issue. Many were killed early in the session.