Proposal puts spotlight on illegals issue
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January 10, 2010 3:33 PM

While some may question the motivations behind an illegal immigration proposal put forth by Arizona Treasurer Dean Martin - who is reportedly planning to run for governor this year - it nevertheless highlighted a long-standing failing of the federal government.

Martin said Arizona should be reimbursed for its cost of imprisoning illegal immigrants who have broken state laws. He estimated Wednesday that the federal government currently owes Arizona nearly $1 billion for these costs, despite Congress having authorized payments to states under the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) more than a decade ago.

Martin suggested he might use his authority as state treasurer to sue the federal government for the money, which Arizona needs due to its current fiscal crisis.

While that likely brought a thumbs up from many state residents who dislike having to pay the cost of illegal immigration, the issue is more complicated than simply filing a lawsuit.

First, years of effort by Arizona's political leaders have failed to get more than small reimbursements. And second, the State Attorney General's office pointed out that the SCAAP law specifically bans lawsuits to force payments.

That essentially leaves persuasion as the only real means to get the money, something that has not proved successful in the past, and Martin seems to have no better solutions. Still, it doesn't hurt to point out the problem exists, and trying again certainly can't hurt.

The reality is that Congress and the White House for years have pushed most of these costs off on the states and they know the states will have to put up with it unless they want to let illegal alien criminals go unpunished.

Either way, taxpayers end up paying to imprison the criminals, but it is really a federal responsibility to deal with people who enter this country illegally.

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