http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... las10.html

Oct. 10, 2005 12:00 AM

Recognizing that illegal immigration is a pressing Arizona issue, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas is hosting a conference on the subject. But there aren't many people from Maricopa County on the invite list. Or many from Arizona. Instead, the county will pay travel, lodging, and, in some cases, speaking fees, for a small army of out-of-state, national experts, most of whom tilt toward tougher immigration enforcement. One of the conference's unstated aims is to attract attention from the conservative media.

Thomas aimed for a wide range of views to be represented at the Nov. 3-5 Southwest Conference on Illegal Immigration, Border Security and Crime. But so far, there has not been much acceptance from national Latino groups or immigrant rights associations.

That could be because Thomas, in his brief political career, has already become a galvanizing figure, largely because of his stances on immigration.

When Thomas ran for Maricopa County attorney, he had previously sought only one political office, losing the state attorney general's race. But in the Republican primary in 2004 for the office he now holds, Thomas introduced immigration as an issue, placing the words "Stop illegal immigration" on his campaign signs.

Since taking office in January, he has made a series of get-tough statements and legal decisions that back up that promise. He declined to prosecute a man arrested at a highway rest stop for holding a group of undocumented immigrants at gunpoint, a story that made national news. And, most recently, he issued an opinion that said smuggled immigrants could be charged with conspiring in their own smuggling.

The upcoming immigration conference is not designed to forge new policy or discuss practical strategies for local law enforcement. Area police, city and county officials were told about it in a mass e-mail sent in early September and will have to pay their own way to attend.

The conference does appear aimed at increasing Thomas' national profile and keeping him portrayed as a staunch foe of illegal immigration. That is hinted at in the invitations to speakers sent out by one of his deputy county attorneys, Rachel Alexander.

The one sent to Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund reads that Thomas' office is "trying to obtain media coverage from Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity or similar." O'Reilly and Hannity are both conservative personalities with talk shows on the Fox News Network.

Another, sent to a professor at the College of William and Mary, introduces Thomas as the "Maricopa County attorney, who ran on a platform of cracking down on illegal immigration and has been active in efforts combating it since taking office."

The county Attorney's Office could not provide a projected budget for the summit. But it has committed to a $10,000 deposit at the four-diamond Scottsdale Resort and Conference Center, as well as travel and lodging for a dozen out-of-town guests. Half of those are also receiving speaking fees ranging from $500 to $1,500.

The list of confirmed speakers reads like a who's who of the national anti-illegal immigration army: Rep. Tom Tancredo, a congressman from Colorado; Mark Krikorian, head of the Center for Immigration Studies; Kris Kobach, a failed congressional candidate from Kansas; and Debbie Schlussel, an online columnist and political commentator from Detroit.

The county has not done much local publicity for the event. But electronic notices were sent to several national radio talk-show hosts, as well as several political blogs and Web sites, most of which lean conservative.

The public is invited to attend. Cost is $55 a person. So far, about 75 people have signed up, said Barnett Lotstein, chief of staff for Thomas.

Registration fees are not expected to cover the total cost of the conference, Lotstein said. The balance will be paid for out of the county's share of anti-racketeering money, made up of funds and assets seized from organized-crime suspects.

Thomas didn't want to talk about the immigration conference at the end of a news briefing last week. He deflected questions until his general news conference scheduled for Tuesday.

Lotstein defended the conference, saying Thomas feels "the immigration problem in Arizona is a serious problem." Thomas is filling what he sees as a "void in leadership," Lotstein said.

Not many Phoenix experts were invited because "we've heard their view," Lotstein said. "We wanted to get several different views and several different perspectives. Maybe we'll get some different ideas."

U.S. Reps J.D. Hayworth and Jeff Flake were invited to speak but have not accepted. Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox had to decline because of scheduling conflicts, Lotstein said. State Rep. Russell Pearce of Mesa, who has introduced several tough-on-immigration bills in the Legislature, is a recent invitee. As is attorney Daniel Ortega, an immigrant rights advocate, who accepted his invitation two weeks ago.

Ortega was "queasy" about accepting, figuring the conference is a thinly veiled political ploy by Thomas. He worried he'll be legitimizing the event by attending.

"Despite that, I really think we need to be represented," Ortega said. "Hopefully, there will be some people in the audience that will have an open mind on this issue."

Ortega's qualms were shared by some national organizations.

J.C. Flores, a spokesperson for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund in Los Angeles, said the group declined the invitation because it didn't think it would get a fair shake.

"We felt that the panels were really stacked against us," Flores said, "and that it would be a one-sided conference that would not be receptive to what MALDEF had to say."

Gabriela Lemus, the director of police and legislation for the League of United Latin American Citizens, bowed out because of scheduling conflicts, but wrote, in an e-mail to Thomas' office, "your meeting does look quite conservative at any rate."

Lotstein said this conference, with its wide-ranging discussion and availability to the public, stands in sharp contrast to an immigration summit held earlier this year by Gov. Janet Napolitano. That gathering was closed to the public and, Lotstein said, was one-sided.

He also contrasted Thomas' meeting to the September conference of regional attorneys general hosted by Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard. That also was closed to the public.

Napolitano's summit, held in Flagstaff in July, was open only to state law enforcement officials, including Thomas. It produced concrete agreements and discussions about the illegal immigration situation in Arizona. The Governor's Office said it cost about $3,300 in materials, facility rental and box lunches.

Goddard's conference was an annual event that rotates between locations in Mexico and Arizona. A private committee raised money to host the conference, which also produced concrete discussions and proposals, including cross-border cooperation on car thefts and child abductions. The Attorney General's Office spent $23,352 in staff time, translators and materials, said an attorney general spokesperson.

What Thomas' conference will produce is uncertain. The only state law enforcement official invited to speak, save for Thomas, is Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever. The bulk of the panels will be dominated by ideologues, most of whom are being flown into Arizona.

It is certain to produce rhetoric and heated discussion, and could help raise Thomas' national name recognition. For those attending, the bickering might be worth the $55. Thomas is banking that all residents of Maricopa County will feel it's worth the price tag.



Reach Ruelas at (602) 444-8473 or richard.ruelas@arizonarepublic.com