words from Gov Janet Napolitano on uninvited illegal aliens

words from Gov Janet Napolitano on uninvited illegal aliens

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Dear Friends:

This year, Congress had one important job before them: enacting
comprehensive immigration reform. To date, they have failed. While they
spent the summer orchestrating sham hearings, we need to use the fall and
winter to keep the pressure on Congress to act, and the resources needed to
combat immigration-related crime.



We continue to do our part at the state level by providing Arizona
National Guard to our Border, combating the crimes underlying the human
smuggling trade, and seizing the assets of drug and human smuggling rings.



More Funding for DPS
In the last four years, we have increased the Department of Public
Safety budget by 62%, adding more highway patrol officers and anti-gang
personnel and focusing on seizing the assets of drug and human smuggling
rings.



Combating Violent Human Smuggling Gangs
Additionally, we are working with local law enforcement in border
counties like Cochise to create a multi-agency, anti-gang task force (known
as GITEM) that specialize in dismantling criminal organizations that make
their living off border-related crime. Within the next six weeks, we will
have 31 more officers added to these units statewide and a total of 41 new
GITEM members by the end of the year.



Federal Intelligence Sharing
Earlier this week, Ambassador Thomas McNamara, of the Office of the
Director of National Intelligence joined me in briefings and a tour of our
Arizona Counter Terrorism Intelligence Center (ACTIC), which combines
federal, state and local intelligence data, analysts, and investigations
into one center. The creation of ACTIC was one of my first homeland
security goals as Governor. McNamara concluded that ACTIC is "a prime
example of what we want to see develop in every state in the union."



Border Law Enforcement Funding
Arizona will receive $6.35 million in federal "Operation Stonegarden"
funding, the largest amount of any state, to reimburse local law enforcement
in assisting the Border Patrol in immigration-related crimes in our border
counties. Last month, I personally urged Secretary Chertoff to release
these critical funds and I greatly appreciate his cooperation.



"Operation Document Fraud"
On September 13, the Fraudulent Identification Taskforce announced the
results of a 12-week investigation. During "Operation Document Fraud"
undercover officers were able to purchase permanent resident cards and
social security cards and numbers in other people's names, but in the names
of 4 people on the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted Terrorist List, including one
terrorist who had been confirmed as dead a month before the ID was
purchased. In just over a year, the Taskforce has confiscated more than
1,200 fraudulent documents, seized $1.4 million and 73 vehicles, and charged
more than 160 defendants.



We continue to do our part by working with local communities each and
every day to ensure they have the resources they need to combat crime
associated with illegal immigration, and at the same time, pressure the
federal government to step up to the plate and do their part. Once again,
we urge Congress to roll up their sleeves and get to work on immigration
reform - reform that is tough but realistic.


As always, if you have any questions or comments, please contact my
office at 1-800-253-0883 and ask to speak to Constituent Services.



Yours very truly,

Janet Napolitano
Governor


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