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Bay City News Wire
SCHWARZENEGGER WANTS REIMBURSEMENT FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT PRISONERS
05/24/05 12:50 PDT

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has praised the U.S. Senate for unanimously passing legislation that would reimburse states for the cost of incarcerating illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.

The legislation authored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., would authorize $750 million to be disbursed to the states in 2006. California's share of that money would be $275 million, an increase of $163 million over current levels, according to the governor's office..

"I welcome the Senate's decision to authorize this essential funding for our state. Each year, we are asked to bear the increasing cost of incarcerating undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes here in California,'' Schwarzenegger said. "It is the federal government's responsibility to secure our nation's borders, and the federal government's responsibility to reimburse our state when they fail that duty. While today's authorization provides only partial reimbursement for the costs associated with incarcerating these individuals, it is a positive step forward, and I urge the House of Representatives to quickly pass similar legislation.''

Schwarzenegger met with House Speaker Dennis Hastert on Monday and personally urged him to speed the legislation through the House of Representatives.

The legislation would fund the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program through 2011. It would authorize $850 million in 2007 and $950 million a year from 2008 through 2011.

According to the governor's office, California spends more than $700 million a year to incarcerate illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.