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Riley seeks more troopers to catch illegal aliens

By PHILLIP RAWLS
Associated Press Writer

Alabama, one of three states where troopers are authorized to arrest illegal aliens, is looking to add to the 44 trained state officers already patrolling the roads.

Gov. Bob Riley said Monday he has requested that the federal government provide immigration enforcement training to another class of Alabama state troopers. Without the trainning, state troopers can't enforce immigration laws.

"Now when they get this training, they are able to arrest illegal aliens, and that strengthens our nation's homeland security," Riley said.

Alabama has had two training classes since 2003 that produced 44 troopers who can operate like federal immigration officers.

State Public Safety Director Mike Coppage said troopers have recorded more than 160 arrests of illegal aliens, with many occurring when people presented fake documents to try to get driver's licenses. The 160 were turned over to federal immigration officials for prosecution and possible deportation.

Florida was the first state to participate in the federal immigration enforcement program, followed by Alabama and then Arkansas. Some city police departments in other states also participate.

Riley said Coppage's Department of Public Safety will help any Alabama police departments that want to apply for the federal training.

"We should empower all our law enforcement officers to arrest anyone who is here illegally," Riley said.

Helen Rivas, an immigrant advocate in Birmingham, said she understands state officials' frustration with a federal immigration policy that's not working, but she said using state troopers to enforce immigration laws is not an efficient use of state resources.

Coppage said his staff makes the arrests as part of its normal duties of issuing licenses and patrolling the roads.

"We don't go raiding chicken plants or peach orchards," he said.

Riley's announcement about seeking another training class for state troopers comes near the end of a legislative session in which lawmakers introduced several bills to crack down on illegal immigrants and on Alabama businesses that hire them.

So far, no bill has passed, and with only four meeting days left in the session, most have no chance of passing.

"I'm counting on the dysfunctional Legislature," Rivas said.

Rivas said she doesn't think anyone should break the law, but undocumented workers wouldn't be coming to Alabama if businesses weren't giving them jobs. She said the Legislature's bills demonstrate the need for a new national immigration policy that recognizes a need for workers from other countries to fill some types of American jobs.

For Alabama state troopers, getting certified to enforce immigration laws means going through a five-week course in Anniston that is taught by federal instructors. The federal government provides the instructors, while the state pays the troopers' salaries and expenses.

If a trooper not trained in immigration arrests makes a stop, he calls an officer who has been trained, Coppage said.

So far, the arrests have involved illegal aliens from several countries, with the first of those arrested in 2003 coming from Thailand, Coppage said.