Posted on 07/31/2006 6:05:28 PM PDT by ncountylee
(CNSNews.com) - When illegal immigrants, who are in violation of U.S. law by virtue of crossing the border, find themselves in prison for committing subsequent crimes, like robbery or murder, it isn't the federal government that picks up the cost in most cases. Instead, it's the state and county officials in places like Southern California, Washington State and Colorado.
A provision in a 1996 immigration reform law, which has been used only in the last several years, is helping to offset the funding crisis in some states.
The State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), in place since 1994, is designed to allow states and counties the ability to get reimbursed for jailing illegal immigrants. But the reimbursements have shrunk so much that some officials have resorted to suing or threatening to sue the U.S. Justice Department.
Washington State Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on July 17, billing him for $50 million - the amount she said the federal government owed the state for incarcerating illegal immigrants in Fiscal Years (FY) 2005 and 2006.
In Colorado, state lawmakers estimate that it's costing $40 million a year to house more than 1,000 inmates from other countries. On July 8 the Colorado Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill encouraging the state attorney general to try to get back the money, including suing the federal government if necessary.
Colorado House Bill 1014 also directs state Attorney General John Suthers to seek compensation for costs connected with the incarceration of illegal aliens. Suthers sent Gonzales a letter and then met with the U.S. attorney general in Washington D.C., on July 18, but Suthers' office did not disclose details of the meeting.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
Grind them up and sell them as mulch.
I can't figure out why our *leaders* don't get that. Could it be they don't want to?
susie
Well, don't you imagine the courts will step in and stop it if it's working?
susie
They want to get $$ that has been filtered through the likes of Cynthia McKinney to the tune of $0.73 of every dollar?? More waste!
"Not locking them up is even more costly."
Absolutely!
should we give illegal immigrants freedom fries when in our custody?
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