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Governor extends state of emergency at Mexican border
Mike Sunnucks
The Business Journal
Gov. Janet Napolitano has extended a state of emergency order at the Mexican border allowing local government more time to spend $1.5 million in state emergency funds on law enforcement and other immigration matters.

Napolitano issued a state of emergency for Arizona counties bordering Mexico last August. Her new move extends that emergency until August 2006 and gives local governments more time to allocate state money.

Arizona has become a top entry point for illegal immigrants and drug trafficking from Mexico that is straining state and local police and prisons.

The Democratic governor also has put forward a $100 million immigration and border security package in her budget and favors state fines against employers who hire illegals as well as a guest worker program.

Republicans have been critical of Napolitano on the immigration front saying she has come to the issue only in an election year and that her border budget plan lacks specific money for enforcement and includes funds to be dispersed by the governor.

Some Republicans also favor construction of a border wall -- an idea Napolitano opposes saying it would be costly and ineffective.

Napolitano's border emergency declaration last year coincides with a similar move by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. The border Democrats have been critical of the Bush administration and Republican Congress for not moving quicker to allocate money to curtail illegal immigration and boost border security.