Press Release - Governor Riley Urges States and Local Law Enforcement to Combat Illegal Immigration

Press Release - Governor Riley Urges States and Local Law Enforcement to Combat Illegal Immigration

Gov. Riley discusses illegal immigration during the 2006 Attorney General's Law Enforcement Summit in Birmingham.

Governor Bob Riley said the issue of illegal immigration is a matter of national security and that the National Guard and state and local law enforcement officers can and should play a role in combating illegal immigration in the states.

Speaking to a group of about 800 law enforcement professionals at the 2006 Attorney General's Law Enforcement Summit, Governor Riley said Alabama has been a leader in the fight against illegal immigration, even though border security has traditionally been a federal responsibility.

"Alabamians are proud that our National Guard will be patrolling the border, and they're proud that our state is one of a handful that allows our state troopers to arrest illegal aliens," Governor Riley said.

Earlier this year, the Governor authorized the use of Alabama National Guard troops to assist border security efforts along the U.S.-Mexico border. The guard troops from Alabama and several other states provide surveillance and logistical support, which frees the U.S. Border Patrol to concentrate on the law enforcement aspects of border security.

In addition, Alabama is one of only three states in the nation authorized to use state troopers to enforce federal immigration law. Governor Riley signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2003 that grants local and state jurisdictions the ability to detain and arrest illegal aliens. Only Florida and Arkansas have reached similar agreements with the federal government. Since then, 60 Alabama state troopers have gone through federal immigration training and they have arrested more than 200 illegal aliens in Alabama. Some of those arrested had prior convictions for serious crimes such as rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking.

Governor Riley said he hopes local law enforcement will consider joining the effort. He said the Alabama Department of Public Safety can assist any local law enforcement agency that wants to receive federal immigration training.

"Think about how much more effective our national border security efforts would be if the federal government, state and local law enforcement cooperated in correcting this problem," Governor Riley said.

Governor Riley has also proposed other steps to address illegal immigration in Alabama:

Require government entities in Alabama to verify the lawful presence of every adult seeking a government benefit for which citizenship is a requirement.

Require employers to prove that they do not knowingly employ illegal immigrants in order to qualify for economic development grants from the state.

Require companies to prove that they do not knowingly employ illegal immigrants before they can do business with any state agency.

Require that government entities issue and renew commercial and professional licenses, permits and similar authorizations only for those lawfully present in the U.S.

http://www.governorpress.alabama.gov/pr/pr-2006-10-17-01-illegal_immigration-photo.asp