Thread: Arkansas: Beebe: State Lacks Resources To Enforce Immigratio

Beebe: State Lacks Resources To Enforce Immigration Laws

By John Lyon
THE MORNING NEWS
LITTLE ROCK -- Arkansas lacks the resources to "do the federal government's job" in enforcing immigration laws, Gov. Mike Beebe said Friday.

Beebe took three calls on illegal immigration during his monthly hourlong call-in program, "Ask the Governor," on the Arkansas Radio Network. The callers asked about Beebe's plans for dealing with the problem.

The primary responsibility for enforcing immigration laws lies with the federal government, Beebe said.

"As the governor, I can tell you I don't have the resources, and I'm not going to raise your taxes to get the resources to do the federal government's job. I can't be stronger than that," he said.

Earlier this year, Beebe asked Arkansas State Police Director Col. Winford Phillips to inquire about sending state troopers to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's training course on immigration enforcement.

Phillips and his predecessor, Col. Steve Dozier, have both said additional troopers would have to be hired if state police were to add immigration enforcement to their duties.

Beebe said Friday that law enforcement in Arkansas has plenty to do as it is.

"If I'm going to be totally candid and honest with you, I have to tell you that our law enforcement agencies are pretty taxed," he said. "If you've been watching the news, reading the newspapers, you know that there is what I view as an inordinate amount of violent crime that we keep seeing reported and talked about in the media.

"Frankly, our law enforcement officers are doing the best they can to try to attack and stop the violent crime, or at least catch the violent criminals when and if they do commit those crimes. They're pretty much stretched thin," Beebe said.

But Beebe said there are some things the state can do. He noted that he signed legislation this year that increases penalties for contractors who do business with the state and employ illegal immigrants.

"The employers actually are one of the places that states can address the issue," he said.

State Rep. Rick Green, R-Van Buren, who sponsored the legislation to crack down on contractors employing illegal immigrants, said in an interview Friday there are costs associated with allowing illegal immigration to go unchecked.

"If we have an influx of illegals into this area, there's going to be costs with them being here, some of those being health care costs, because there's certain things that we have to provide by federal law, but that's still a drain on the tax coffers," he said. "So do you end up paying more out because they're here, or more to enforce the law?"

Green, who serves on a legislative committee that is conducting an interim study on immigration, said he does not view the issue in terms of state law versus federal law.

"I think any officer, whether it be local, state or federal, is sworn to uphold the law, and that's not just federal law, that's any law. So if a person is breaking the law by being here illegally, I believe our officers are sworn to protect the citizens of this state from allowing that to happen," he said.

One caller was critical of the newly formed Arkansas Friendship Coalition, an association of civic, business and church leaders that oppose punitive legislation targeting immigrants. The caller said the group is "about harboring illegals."

"There's some really good people on that coalition, and I would take issue with your broad-blanket attack, if you will, on that coalition," Beebe said.

Beebe said the coalition is correct in maintaining that enforcement of immigration laws is primarily the federal government's responsibility.

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/ ... rbeebe.txt

The Gov is a LIAR....he is in bed with Mexico

That's some serious pandering and BS.

I think that these govs and other civic leaders are missing the point here.

If they would really stop and think about the situation they would find unlimited funding,

All that needs done is a little creative book keeping.

Say they need x dollars for enforcing this immigration law,

The simple solution would be go to the county welfare records and drop however many illegals they need to get that dollar amount.

That would be a win win situation.

He talks about violent crime. I wonder if hizzoner has ever tallied to number of foreign nationals arrested. This man has to be lieing because no one is that dumb.....not to connect all the drug dealing and Mexico. Get rid of these illegal criminals and they could save time and money. Besides, how much does it cost just to do a immigration check and turn them over to ICE??

Arkansas is illegal alien country and the governer loves them. They have their willing slaves...a dream come true for the governer and his corporate farmer puppeteers.

How much is the lives of his citizens worth? What promises did he make when he took his oath of office?