Cops Enforcing Immigration Laws Bust County Budgets
New America Media, News Report, Anthony D. Advincula, Posted: Aug 13, 2008
When local cops enforce federal immigration laws, the police department may not only incur significant costs, but may also fail to attend to more serious crimes and delay response times to most emergency calls, according to a report released by the Immigration Policy Center (IPC).
Take the case of Maricopa County, Ariz. Since Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio transformed his department into an immigration-enforcement agency, following a partnership made by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 19, 2007, his office has incurred a $1.3 million deficit in just three months.
Maricopa’s police officers began working 4,500 extra hours every two-week pay period during the first month of the partnership, as compared to 2,900 extra hours the previous month, the report said. In April 2007, police officers worked more than 9,000 overtime hours and cost the county’s taxpayers $373,757.
Maricopa County is not an isolated case. More and more cities across the country that allow the police to carry out federal immigration laws get themselves in a similar economic quagmire. Many of them find that it is much more expensive than they thought.
Recently, the initiative against illegal immigration in Prince William County, Va., raised its costs to $6.9 million for the budget year that starts July 1, because of overcrowding at the county jail.
Immigrant rights advocates also say that even cities like Valley Park, Mo. and Hazleton, Pa.—where local enforcement takes a more aggressive approach than simply relying on ICE to perform federal immigration operations—may fall into deep budget pits soon. “This kind of local enforcement just leaves counties broke, aside from many other negative consequences,” said Michele Waslin, senior policy analyst for IPC. “It makes the community frightened and forces many businesses to close down.”
While police officers arrest undocumented immigrants, Waslin says that they fail to catch the human smuggling rings. “I don’t think that cops who become immigration agents are effective to help in stopping the flow of illegal immigration,” she said.
The two-page IPC report, based mainly on the findings of a series of investigative stories published in Phoenix-based East Valley Tribune , also revealed that since Maricopa County cops started looking for undocumented immigrants, the county’s arrest rate for serious crimes -- including robberies, aggravated assaults and sex crimes -- decreased dramatically—and these crimes received little or no investigation. Arpaio’s office in 2005 cleared 10.5 percent of its investigations with arrests. When immigration operations began, according to the report, that number dropped to 6 percent.
In July 2007, the county’s police only made arrests on 2.5 percent of their investigations. Because more officers need to be added to the immigration team, the report said that Arpaio pulled deputies off patrol beats and used them to staff the human smuggling unit, resulting in more delays when responding to 911 and other emergency calls. Patrol districts, trails and lake divisions as well as the central investigations bureau all lost deputies. Allegations of racial profiling have also stung the county, as Arpaio’s team increasingly conducts large-scale operations without any evidence of criminal activity in Latino neighborhoods or sites where day laborers convene.
“Some of these will ultimately lead to costly lawsuits,” Waslin added. “In any way, the idea of cops doing federal immigration enforcement is very problematic. It’s not just going to work.
Anthony D. Advincula is a New York based editor at NAM.
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User Comments
KeepingUS on Aug 19, 2008 at 20:56:16 said:
…enforcing their immigration sweeps.
KeepingUS on Aug 19, 2008 at 20:44:20 said:
Gee. If these cities actually cut back on the services provided to illegals, they'd have that much more money to put into inforcing their immigration sweeps.
Go Sheriff Joe! He has done a lot for Phoenix and is receiving contributions from all over the country to continue his sweeps. Too bad he isn't the head of Homeland Security...the illegals would be running for the border - and I don't mean Taco Bell!
nativessayno on Aug 16, 2008 at 23:51:21 said:
I have no formal affiliations with any anti-illegal immigration organization. I study this issue on-line and see posts from both sides of the debate. I have seen unsavory blogs that coarsen the debate. I do utilize anti-illegal immigration urls as they help me facilitate and register my voice and concerns to elected representatives.
**My hunch is that note2self is him/herself a pro-illegal immigration propagandist representing some organization.
Thanks to ransome for pointing out the values of objective rhetorical argument and debate.
Thanks again to the posters that share a common goal of at least voicing dissent to persons or groups that want to: "give away the store", debase the value of US citizenship, insult our POV, and run the show re commentary and journalism on this subject.
Diablo Blanco on Aug 16, 2008 at 12:57:53 said:
They don't just break laws; they have NO sense of allegiance to this nation and its core values.
Can you imagine them feeling a sense of honor and a desire to defend "their country" in a time of war? HELL no.
They will be the next wave of draft dodgers and then Canada will have to deal with the "illegal immigrant invasion".
note2self on Aug 16, 2008 at 07:36:45 said:
Once again, these posters continually spam every online forum related to immigration:
Brittanicus
EdWeirdness
Buzzm1
legallatina
HernandezUSA
zeezil
nativessayno
Do not rely on these posters information. Their data is BOGUS. This is done in an attempt to influence the debate on immigration by confusing readers with misinformation and propoganda. They are NOT concerned members of your community. They are affiliated with ALIPAC. An anti-immigrant organization run by William Gheen from North Carolina. Posters on ALIPAC's forums have said things like:
“let the rednecks with their shotguns go to work" to which William Gheen responded "its humorous idea"
"I was ready to stand in front of my local VA and start shooting Mexicans"
Ask yourself. Would you trust information on immigration from a source like this? Please do your own research folks, and do not rely on these people for anything accurate.
ransome on Aug 16, 2008 at 06:49:50 said:
Definitions of Ad Hominem on the Web:
•In an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent’s ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning “against the man.”
•attacking your opponent personally rather than her/his argument. Ad hominem is fallacious argumentation.
•a logical fallacy of ethos in which the arguer attacks the proponent of an idea instead of the idea itself
•argument see fallacy, types of informal (3). The above is excerpted from HarperCollins Dictionary of Philosophy Second Edition by Peter A Angeles. ...
note2self on Aug 15, 2008 at 16:41:05 said:
Once again, these posters continually spam every online forum related to immigration:
Brittanicus
EdWeirdness
Buzzm1
legallatina
HernandezUSA
zeezil
nativessayno
Do not rely on these posters information. Their data is BOGUS. This is done in an attempt to influence the debate on immigration by confusing readers with misinformation and propoganda. They are NOT concerned members of your community. They are affiliated with ALIPAC. An anti-immigrant organization run by William Gheen from North Carolina. Posters on ALIPAC's forums have said things like:
“let the rednecks with their shotguns go to work" to which William Gheen responded "its humorous idea"
"I was ready to stand in front of my local VA and start shooting Mexicans"
Ask yourself. Would you trust information on immigration from a source like this? Please do your own research folks, and do not rely on these people for anything accurate.
nativessayno on Aug 15, 2008 at 08:41:23 said:
Brittanicus and legallatina always have very interesting remarks and comments. I happen to fully share their posted points of view.
They express their so-call bogus nativist views without animus and often do not even cite statistics at all, and I am pretty sure one of them is a first american and lives in California, not NC. Often rebuttals from the opposing side are kooky, overly-subjective, snide or worse.
note2self must be omniscient to know what is in their minds and their affiliation to ALIPAC. Correction; they oppose ILLEGAL immigration, are we still on that point? Illegal immigration IS not legal; see the blatantly obvious difference?
Nativists; the newly maligned bogeymen, except that in my view they simply want our immigration laws followed and respected- not tens of millions benefiting from jumping our border.
I always look forward to their remarks and comments. Enforcing "unpopular" laws: conveniently and cowardly avoided or neccesary?
note2self on Aug 14, 2008 at 14:54:55 said:
These guys are nativist trolls that post for ALIPAC. Thats William Gheen's anti-immigrant outfit out of NC.
Brittanicus
EdWeirdness
Buzzm1
legallatina
HernandezUSA
zeezil
If you do a search for immigration news on yahoo, you'll see they are on every news article spamming the Internet with their BOGUS stats and propaganda. If you see any of the userid's above, its pretty safe to say you can skip the comment. Also they like to give the impression that they are from the local community. They are not. They are a national organization of nativists that spam newspaper articles. Do you own research about the issue, folks and don't rely on the stats from these people.
Frankoni on Aug 13, 2008 at 21:59:23 said:
WOW! Buzzum has quite the program for dealing with the problem. Makes me think that retroactive abortion would have solved Buzzum's worries. Nothing more, nothing less.
Brittanicus on Aug 13, 2008 at 12:58:52 said:
People don't have any idea of the ramification of both Republican and Democratic platform on illegal immigration. It's not just jobs and futures society becoming balkinised? It's not just about language, that has caused wars around the world? The major issue is OVERPOPULATION?
The Southwest already suffers from a shortage of drinking water? Then their is the serious energy of energy? Overpopulation, traffic congestion, urban sprawl, pollution, environmental damage, water, oil, gas, energy diminishing resources, contagious diseases, lack of affordable housing, depressed wages of US citizens, underground economic, fraudulent documents, identity theft, Sanctuary cities, predatory businesses tax evasion, soaring nationwide crime rate growth , increased taxpayer burdens, $$$ going across the border, overseas, overcrowded schools, uneducated legal children, overcrowded prisons, inadequate health care for legal residents, but free health care for illegal immigrants.
The balkanization of our communities and a large and growing population with loyalty to other Nations. In America their is estimated to be at least 12 million illegal aliens, if you believe the government. The heritage foundation thinks just California has 8 million? Then their are the millions just waiting behind the fence. Already citizens and residents are supporting huge welfare programs in different states, that not even mentioning what the Fed's are secretly spending? You have to search the Internet for the unsuppressed truth? Read about the budget meltdowns in other states, including California with a $17. billion dollar deficit. $11.billion dollars attributed social programs for illegal alien families. My sons school in Los Angeles county has more ethnic illegal students, than our own kids.
Stop the next AMNESTY, path to citizenship. Your children's future is in peril. Join NUMBERSUSA, CAPSWEB for the truth not lies.
nativessayno on Aug 13, 2008 at 12:29:29 said:
Economic quagmire...good one! What is the alternative? Give all illegal immigrants the key to the city and priority (fraudulent)hiring like they do here in LA?
I wish Joe could be replicated and sent to LA; instead we have the real quagmire of a city hellbent on being reduced to the 2 laws system,(advantages go to illegal, uninsured drivers, etc) and a mad free-for-all of paid maternity, housing, social services, medical & dental. A bona fide brass ring for "FREE" services....What a deal!
The author of this tortured story has his allegiances to illegal latinos and their gimme gimme gimme concept of a new life in El Norte. Damn any citizen that does not embrace their illegal "homecoming" here...I do not!
Imagine that? Griping about cops doing their jobs- the audacity and greed boggle the mind!!
Ed Weirdness on Aug 13, 2008 at 12:10:40 said:
Our nation is being iverrun by illegal aliens. More people, more crime. What's so hard to understand about increasing costs in law enforcement?
Ed Weirdness on Aug 13, 2008 at 11:35:10 said:
No Police agency is focusing on "illegal immigration", indeed rules against profiling would render any such policy illegal and ineffective.
Police are however; reporting to ICE any illegal aliens they encounter during their normal enforcemant duties. With increased gang and drug activity in certain communities, there is a certain amount of flux expected in the cost of public safety, but none of this is directly attributable to "immigration enforcement".
Police are not patroling or going door to door looking for illegal aliens. Indeed, if that were the only charge that might be brought against someone police arrested, my guess is that the charges would be dropped.
That police are encountering illegal aliens more and more often during the course of their normal duties isn't a reflection on police officers or police policy, but rather a dramatic indication of just how out-of-control illegal immigration has become!
Police, DHS and ICE are to be commended for their efforts in enforcing our laws, all of our laws!
Ed Weirdness on Aug 13, 2008 at 11:25:45 said:
I agree, the money is well spent. Further, some of these costs could be marginalized by employing "asset forfeiture". Arguably, asset forfeiture might even act as a further incentive for many illegal aliens to leave, rather than face the loss of their "ill-gotten gains". We, the people, America's Citizens, understand and accept that there will be costs and consequences to securing our borders and enforcing our laws. As enforcement expands, and tougher penalties are put in place, both employers and illegal aliens will eventually accept that we, the people have had enough! Any employers who assert that their business will suffer if they are constrained to compete for American workers is lieing, or has chosen a flawed business model. A business model that depends on "screwing the workers and the American taxpayer" for its profits, isn't just unethical, it's illegal!
Buzzm1 on Aug 13, 2008 at 09:57:23 said:
The cost of Enforcing Immigration Laws pales into comparison to the cost of illegal immigrants in any city, or county, or state.
-->Illegals are costing American taxpayers 100's of BILLIONS of dollars, and they are costing American workers jobs.
The average cost of an illegal immigrant is over $9,000 per year, all paid for the American taxpayers. An illegal immigrant student costs from $7,000 to $12,000 per year, and that's just for K-12 education.
Illegals are an enormous finacial burden, that is only going to get worse, unless we do everything we can to drive them out of our United States.
Before you have any sympathy for the poor illegals, consider that they broke our laws, by lying, cheating, and stealing. They can't blame us for not wanting them in our country. They created this situation, and only have themselves to blame for the I.C.E. raids.
THERE WILL BE NO AMNESTY!!!
OUR ACCEPTABLE IMMIGRATION REFORM
#1. Secure the Border!!!
#2. Mandate E-Verify for ALL Employees!!!
#3. Mandate E-Verify for ANY Benefit!!!
#4. Stop the Underground Economy!!!
#5. End Birthright Citizenship for Illegals!!!
......and make it retroactive!!!
#6. End Chain Migration!!!
#7. Make English our Official Language!!!
#8. Cut Off Federal Funds to Sanctuary Cities!!
NOTHING MORE!!! NOTHING LESS!!!