Thread: Governor still hoping US pays for illegal alien inmates

Governor still hoping US pays for illegal alien inmates

By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.15.2008

PHOENIX — Gov. Janet Napolitano is not counting on a new president to finally pay the bills she has been sending to Washington for years to cover Arizona's cost of imprisoning illegal aliens.
At least not immediately.

Napolitano said she's going to continue to push for the federal government to pay money she believes Arizona is owed. But she said that has to take a back seat to the most pressing issue: the economy.

"I think we all have to agree that getting people back to work and getting this economy rolling again, getting construction projects moving, getting deals being done, getting jobs being created, that's got to be his top priority," she said. "And that's important for Arizona, too."

A federal law, the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, requires the U.S. Department of Justice to reimburse states for the cost of incarcerating people in this country illegally who have been convicted of violating state laws.

That hasn't happened. In the meantime, Napolitano has sent bills to the government.

The bills are accumulating at the rate of about $10 million a month. That is based on the state's contention that the cost of the average inmate runs $58.21 a day. And there are more than 5,600 inmates who are here illegally — more than 14 percent of the approximately 39,000 people behind bars in state prisons.


http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/border/267367.php

wow. Reading some of the comments at the link. AZ residents are not too impressed with Napolitano. They WANT BO to take her away!

I hope the federal government doesn't pay one thin dime to any state for illegal aliens! Such a move only encourages complacency. Gov. Janet Napolitano needs to do everything in her power to rid the state of illegal aliens. She can start by supporting increased inforcement of our immigration laws through raids, checkpoints, statewide E-verify program, etc. Furthermore, she needs to insist that the Arizona border be secured. Duncan Hunter's vision of a double-layered fence along the entire Arizona border with Mexico would be a nice start.

Gov. Napolitano has never been part of the solution but she has definitely been part of the problem!