Friday, May 25, 2012

Why Rep. Jones "Struggled Mightily" About SB1070

Arizona Representative, Russ Jones, stood to explain his "yes" vote for SB1070.  He clearly was conflicted about voting in support of the bill.  Let's look at his explanation as to WHY he struggled mightily to do so.



"As you know, Mr. Speaker, I have struggled mightily with this bill.  The district I come from along the AZ-Mexico border...it's not broken.  That district along the border has the highest REDUCTION in illegal immigration along the entire US-Mexico border.  That's because our local law enforcement and ICE work well together, hand in hand, effectively...I still have problems with this bill...Frankly, my community is NOT a sanctuary city.  I can't think of one community in the State that is truly a sanctuary city.  It's unfortunate we are using that term...I don't see this as a problem and wonder what it is we're fixing."


Let's break it down:

"The district I come from along the AZ-Mexico border...
it's not broken"


Smugglers and immigrants link up in San Luis Rio Colorado
(2006)


Study: Illegal immigration costing border counties millions

Cost to Yuma may total $49.2 million since 1999

(March 2008)


Illegal immigrants: SB-1070 will not stop us
(May 2010)


Mexican Children crossing border in San Luis, AZ to attend US SCHOOLS
(2010)

Unfinished drug tunnel found in San Luis Rio Colorado   
(Feb 2011)

San Luis CBP Officers Seize Ammunition
(Feb 2012)


"our local law enforcement and ICE work well together, hand in hand, effectively"

The 287(g) program is an agreement between the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within the Department of Homeland Security and state and local law enforcement which allows local law enforcement to receive delegated authority for immigration enforcement within their jurisdictions. "The cross-designation between ICE and state and local patrol officers, detectives, investigators and correctional officers allows these local and state officers necessary resources and latitude to pursue investigations relating to violent crimes, human smuggling, gang/organized crime activity, sexual-related offenses, narcotics smuggling and money laundering."

While it may be true that the local law enforcement and ICE in Mr. Jones' district worked effectively together prior to SB1070 (although the above links paint a different picture than that of a district that wasn't "broken"), it is known that President Obama has since begun to shut the 287(g) program down. 

The fact of the matter is, the 287(g) program is only set up to crack down on those who are arrested after committing a secondary crime and does not do anything to curtail those who are committing the primary crime of entering our country illegally.  

"Frankly, my community is NOT a sanctuary city.  I can't think of one community in the State that is truly a sanctuary city.  It's unfortunate we are using that term..."


Sanctuary Cities
Arizona

  • Chandler, AZ   (Added 5/30/07, Congressional Research Service Report, 2006 )
  • Mesa, AZ  (Added 10-18-09, Sources: Judicial Watch; East Valley Tribune article,1-4-2008)
Mesa, Arizona has been added as a sanctuary city list because of its reported "don't ask don't tell policy" and criticism by the local sheriff that the city is not enforcing the law. The sheriff has arrested illegal aliens working in city buildings (as contract workers for a private cleaning company), reportedly after the city police department refused to investigate complaints of illegal hires by a whistleblower. 
  • Phoenix, AZ
  • Tucson, AZ   (Added 11-12-07, Source: 11-11-07 story by Brady McCombs, Arizona Daily Star.)
Tucson Arizona has been added to the sanctuary city list because the Tucson police have instituted a new policy which prevents their officers from calling Immigration and Customs Enforcement to schools and churches. 

" don't see this as a problem and wonder what it is we're fixing."


Illegal Immigration Costs U.S. $113 Billion a Year, Study Finds


Illegal Immigration Costs Arizona Taxpayers $1.3 Billion Annually
(Arizonans fork out nearly $1.3 billion annually to pay for all of the costs incurred from illegal immigration; around $810 million for education, $400 million for health care related expenses, $80 million in incarceration costs, and the remainder in welfare benefits.)

http://www.immigrationcounters.com/


I think we can see why Rep. Jones "struggled mightily" to vote for SB1070.

Here.

Here.

Here.



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