$3.9M Plan To Expand Immigration Unit Rejected

April 8, 2008

DENVER (AP) ― State lawmakers on Tuesday rejected a $3.9 million plan to double the size of the Colorado State Patrol immigration unit.

The proposal by Sen. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, would have increased the number of troopers in the unit to 48. That's the original number the patrol asked for two years ago.

The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 6-4 against spending money on the plan.

"I think we're doing the job of the federal government and we don't have the resources of the federal government," Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo said.

Harvey said he thinks the existing unit has been very effective, investigating 25 cases of alleged human smuggling in its first five months in operation. Of the 6,271 vehicles it contacted between July and November 2007, Harvey said they arrested 93 illegal immigrants who had committed felonies, had previously been deported or had multiple traffic offenses.

"The focus of this unit is not to go after people who are coming here to work," Harvey said.

The State Patrol didn't ask for the increase because lobbyist Terry Campbell said the agency realizes that resources are tight.

The patrol said that it would have to hire 24 new troopers in order to make up for the troopers that would be added to the immigration unit.

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