Tucson lawmaker's effort wins praise from Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is leading the first congressional effort in 2008 to get full funding for a federal program aimed at reimbursing state and local governments for incarcerating criminals who are in the United States illegally.
As President Bush prepares to unveil his proposed budget, the Tucson lawmaker marshaled the support of 41 members of Congress from 18 states to highlight the importance of the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, or SCAAP.
In a letter to the president initiated by Giffords, the lawmakers write that without full funding state and local governments risk being "overwhelmed by costs that are more properly the federal government's responsibility."
SCAAP funds are used by agencies like the Pima County Sheriff's Office to pay for the arrest, incarceration and transportation of criminals who are in the country illegally. Although SCAAP is currently authorized at $950 million, the president last year failed to include funding for the program in his budget.
"Considering the immigration challenge in America," the lawmakers write, "under-funding SCAAP places a significant cost burden on state and local governments, stretching their resources and hampering their ability to protect our communities and uphold the law. Communities across the country continue to face extraordinary costs associated with incarcerating undocumented criminals."
Giffords effort is winning praise from Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik. "I loudly applaud Congresswoman Giffords and her colleagues for doing what is right," he said. "Our budget situation is dire. On any given day, we have 200 illegal aliens in our jail on state charges. This is extremely expensive."
In their letter to the president, Giffords and her colleagues note that most counties along the U.S.-Mexico border are reimbursed as little as 9 percent of the costs of incarcerating undocumented criminals.
"Due to major state and county budget shortfalls, every dollar reduction in SCAAP reimbursement means a dollar less that a state can spend on essential public safety services," the lawmakers write. "This is unacceptable."
Giffords noted that if the president fails to support SCAAP funding, she will fight for Congress to prioritize this program in its budget and appropriations legislation this year. "I was proud of my success in increasing funding for SCAAP last year but our state and local government need much more help," she said. "It is a top priority for me to make this happen."
Click here for a copy of the letter.