AZTOY
January 25, 2003, 10:03 PM
1/24/03
Arizona Could Have To Pick Up The Entire Bill For Jailing Illegal Immigrants
By Paul Cicala
In what could be another financial hit to the state, and your pocketbook, Arizonans might soon have to pick up the bill for jailing illegal immigrants convicted of crimes. U.S. Senators are considering a budget that eliminates a federal program to help pay the costs.
If the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) is cut, state and local governments in Arizona could end up losing at least 24 million dollars. Illegal immigrants make up about 15 percent of the Pima County jail's inmate population, so this institution would also feel the repercussions.
The Pima County jail holds nearly 1,500 inmates.
"And, when we've got two to three-hundred people that are illegals, it stretches our services significantly," says Corrections Lt. Richard Gibbons from the Pima County Sheriff's Department.
It costs millions of dollars a year to house undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes.
"And, overall, population has increased significantly," says Lt. Gibbons. He says that means more money is required for handling illegal immigrants for: translations services, equipment for special INS teleconferencing, and hiring of bilingual staff.
Lt. Gibbons says, "It does impact us. If we didn't have those folks here, we would be able to fight through our days just a little bit easier." Lt. Gibbons says it's still too early to comment on how the Pima County Sheriff's Department would deal with its budget if the 24 million dollars in federal funding is eliminated.
"That state criminal alien assistance funding is extremely important," says U of A professor Tanis
Salant, who has done extensive studies dealing with Costs to County Governments Along the Border.
"It'll be disastrous for the Sheriff's budget," says Salant. The renown professor says that in justifying the budget cut, the Bush administration argues that the program is not directly related to fighting crime.
"I do not think the issue is one of fighting crime," says Salant, "I think the issue is one of the failure of the federal government to enforce its immigration policies. That is the issue, and, that is where the SCAAP funding is so critical."
Salant adds that reducing the SCAAP funding from its 565 million dollars to zero is unacceptable, and would be particularly unfair to border communities like those in the News 13 viewership region: Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise Counties.
Proponents of funding say they hope the House, which supports at least 500 million dollars to continue the SCAAP program, will fight to keep the funding in the final budget negotiations with the senate in upcoming weeks.
http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=1098695
Arizona Could Have To Pick Up The Entire Bill For Jailing Illegal Immigrants
By Paul Cicala
In what could be another financial hit to the state, and your pocketbook, Arizonans might soon have to pick up the bill for jailing illegal immigrants convicted of crimes. U.S. Senators are considering a budget that eliminates a federal program to help pay the costs.
If the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) is cut, state and local governments in Arizona could end up losing at least 24 million dollars. Illegal immigrants make up about 15 percent of the Pima County jail's inmate population, so this institution would also feel the repercussions.
The Pima County jail holds nearly 1,500 inmates.
"And, when we've got two to three-hundred people that are illegals, it stretches our services significantly," says Corrections Lt. Richard Gibbons from the Pima County Sheriff's Department.
It costs millions of dollars a year to house undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes.
"And, overall, population has increased significantly," says Lt. Gibbons. He says that means more money is required for handling illegal immigrants for: translations services, equipment for special INS teleconferencing, and hiring of bilingual staff.
Lt. Gibbons says, "It does impact us. If we didn't have those folks here, we would be able to fight through our days just a little bit easier." Lt. Gibbons says it's still too early to comment on how the Pima County Sheriff's Department would deal with its budget if the 24 million dollars in federal funding is eliminated.
"That state criminal alien assistance funding is extremely important," says U of A professor Tanis
Salant, who has done extensive studies dealing with Costs to County Governments Along the Border.
"It'll be disastrous for the Sheriff's budget," says Salant. The renown professor says that in justifying the budget cut, the Bush administration argues that the program is not directly related to fighting crime.
"I do not think the issue is one of fighting crime," says Salant, "I think the issue is one of the failure of the federal government to enforce its immigration policies. That is the issue, and, that is where the SCAAP funding is so critical."
Salant adds that reducing the SCAAP funding from its 565 million dollars to zero is unacceptable, and would be particularly unfair to border communities like those in the News 13 viewership region: Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise Counties.
Proponents of funding say they hope the House, which supports at least 500 million dollars to continue the SCAAP program, will fight to keep the funding in the final budget negotiations with the senate in upcoming weeks.
http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=1098695