Posted on 05/19/2005 9:23:33 AM PDT by Boston Blackie
WASHINGTON, May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The House today passed legislation authorizing $40 million to state and local governments for training law enforcement officials to enforce federal immigration laws.
(Excerpt) Read more at prnewswire.com ...
bttt!!
Now maybe local LEO agencies can be pressured into enforcement by the taxpayers of their respective communities.
40 mill would buy an awful lot of fencing.
WASHINGTON, May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The House today passed legislationauthorizing $40 million to state and local governments for training law enforcement officials to enforce federal immigration laws.
The provision, authored by Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Christopher Cox and included in the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act, will fund training of state and local law enforcement personnel who will then be deputized to serve as immigration officers.
"State and local governments can now receive funding to train their law enforcement officials to enforce our national immigration laws," said Chairman Cox. "Adding the strength of state police, highway patrol, sheriffs, and local law enforcement to our federal officers will be a force multiplier to help enforce border security nationwide."
The authority for state and local law enforcement officials to enforce immigration law already exists in current law -- the result of a 1996 Cox amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act. DHS entered Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) for such "deputization" programs with Florida in September 2002, Alabama in September 2003, and the County of Los Angeles in February 2005.
Despite interest by at least 14 other jurisdictions, expansion of the program to other states and localities is inhibited by costs associated with officer training, including time away from regular duties.
In most states, immigration laws are still enforced only by federal law enforcement officials, even when state and local authorities make felony arrests of persons who are not in the U.S. legally.
Additional information is available at http://homeland.house.gov.
I think local LEOs would be happy to enforce the immigration laws but you can't get the Feds to show up to take people. These funds look like money that nobody would want as you get to train people on how to do a job that won't get done because of the reason I mentioned.
BUT, local LEO agencies can't use the lame-@$$ excuse "there's no money in the budget" and continue turning a blind eye to a national scourge.
~Chris Cox ping~
ping
$40 million, it isn't a whole heck of a lot, but it is a good start.
The government must see now, that the majority of the country is worried about this problem and want it fixed - YESTERDAY!
I am glad to see some action, no matter how small.
I don't think the Senate has passed this bill yet so you are perhaps premature. But it is good news.
Any guesses out there on whether Al Qaeda operatives know that the US border with Mexico is an easy route for sneaking into the United States? So do not be surprised if the next terrorist attack in the United States is carried out by people who crossed the border from Mexico.
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Be Ever Vigilant!
Minutemen Patriots ~ Bump!
I was thinking the same thing. If our government really wanted to keep illegal aliens out of America, they would have closed the borders on 9/12/01. They don't.
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