The Militant - September 19, 2005, SPECIAL ISSUE -- State gov’ts tighten border controls

Vol. 69/No. 36 September 19, 2005, SPECIAL ISSUE

State gov’ts tighten border controls

BY ARRIN HAWKINS
The governors of Arizona and New Mexico declared states of emergencies in mid-August in counties that border with Mexico, claiming an increase in violence by undocumented immigrants crossing the border between the two countries. William Richardson of New Mexico and Janet Napolitano of Arizona, both Democrats, said they would use the “emergency” to spend $1.5 million to hire more local cops and expand prison facilities.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded August 23 announcing that it would beef up the federal cops in the region and work closely with local and state police to patrol the highways for immigrants crossing the border. Local and state cops will be authorized to arrest undocumented workers. The DHS plans to install more surveillance cameras, infrared and motion detectors, and fences along the border, and add 2,250 more prison beds to hold people awaiting deportation hearings.

Over the past decade the number of Border Patrol cops nearly tripled from 4,000 to 11,000. This year Congress is due to vote on deploying 1,000 more border patrol cops.

In April, actions organized by the rightist Minutemen Project drew a few hundred vigilantes who patrolled the Arizona-Mexico border between Naco and Douglas. The rightist groups claim the federal immigration cops aren’t “doing their job.” Washington has distanced itself from these actions. “This is not the place for people to play as amateurs,” Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff said.

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