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The Business Journal of Phoenix - 2:18 PM MST Wednesday
Governor of Arizona vows to enforce new immigration laws
Mike Sunnucks
The Business Journal
Gov. Janet Napolitano is pledging to crack down on illegal immigrant smugglers and organized crime gangs as the state deals with a crisis along the Mexican border and in Phoenix.

Napolitano told Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas in a Tuesday letter that the state will enforce new tougher laws against immigrant smugglers.

Thomas, a Republican, wrote Napolitano and state Attorney General Terry Goddard (both Democrats), calling on them to make sure state law enforcement agencies enforce new immigration laws that went to effect earlier this month.

The governor said late Tuesday that the state will enforce the new law and immigration is a top priority for her. The state is also working with the Bush administration to coordinate law enforcement efforts in the face of the border crisis and waves of illegal immigration into the state.

Illegal immigration is a mammoth economic and political issue for the state. Undocumented immigrants are a key source of cheap labor for industries such as construction, landscaping, food service, agriculture and hospitality.

However, gaps in border security also allow Mexican drug cartels and other criminal elements to ship illegal drugs, including crystal meth, into the state.

The governor has been critical of the Bush administration on border issues, citing lack of quick action and resource allocation. Republicans criticize Napolitano for opposing a 2004 ballot question denying state welfare benefits to illegals. Thomas was a top backer of that referendum and lost to Goddard in the 2002 attorney general's race.

The governor has substantially stepped up her focus on the border situation in recent weeks.