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According to a report by CNN, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has issued an executive order including four of the sate’s border counties in a state of emergency. The declaration said the region "has been devastated by the ravages and terror of human smuggling, drug smuggling, kidnapping, murder, destruction of property and the death of livestock….“[It] is in an extreme state of disrepair and is inadequately funded or safeguarded to protect the lives and property of New Mexican citizens.”
New Mexico shares 180 miles of border with the Mexican state of Chihuahua. "The situation is out of hand," Richardson said Friday night on CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight," noting that one 54-mile stretch is particularly bad. The Governor also made his case on Fox News Sunday with host Chris Wallace yesterday.
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“This is a federal issue (and), it's a very charged political issue,” Richardson told Wallace. “But that doesn't mean you leave states like Arizona and New Mexico and California and Texas defenseless. We need more border patrols. The Cornyn bill in the Senate right now says we need 10,000 border patrol agents. I'm all for that.”
Senator John Cornyn’s (R-Texas) bill, The Comprehensive Enforcecment and Immigration Reform Act of 2005, intends to strengthen immigration enforcement and border security while applying comprehensive reform to the nation’s immigration laws. Key components of the bill (S. 1438) include enhanced border security and interior enforcement, employer accountability and reform that addresses temporary workers and the current illegal population.
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Immigration is an important issue in the green industry as many lawn and landscape companies hire Spanish-speaking workers from Mexico and other countries south of the border to fill jobs American's won't take. Let us know what you think about the United States' immigration problem - or if you think there even is a problem. Visit the Lawn & Landscape Online Message Board to share your thoughts on the States of Emergency declared in New Mexico and Arizona, and the declaration that was called for in California. Will these impact your business? For better or for worse? Find out what your industry colleagues think, as well. Click here to visit the Message Board now. |
Richardson's declaration makes $750,000 in state emergency funds available to Dona Ana, Luna, Grant and Hidalgo counties. And the Governor also pledged an additional $1 million in assistance for the area, his office said in a news release.
Meanwhile, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano has followed suit, earmarking $1.5 million in state emergency funds for Yuma, Cochise, Pima and Santa Cruz counties. The money will be used to help law enforcement agencies combat drug traffickers, illegal immigrant smugglers and criminal gangs operating along the border.
"The federal government has failed to secure our border, and the health and safety of all Arizonans is threatened daily by violent gangs, coyotes and other dangerous criminals," said Napolitano. "These funds provide our law enforcement community with another valuable tool to fight crime related to illegal immigration."
On the heels of these two announcements, California Assemblyman Fabian Nunez has called on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also to declare a state of emergency along the state’s border with Mexico. Nunez, Richardson and Napolitano are all democrats, while Schwarzenegger is a republican.
"The timing is good," Nunez said. "There's an opportunity for three states to have a joint effort in lobbying the federal government." Nunez said he will take a three-day trip to Mexico City next week to visit with a number of government and business leaders, including Mexico President Vicente Fox.
Schwarzenegger has said he supports the actions of his fellow governors but does not think there is a crisis along California's border. A spokesperson for his office said the governor is lobbying for more federal money and has written a letter to Homeland Security Secretary requesting more border patrol agents.
CNN reports that the Mexican government issued a statement acknowledging problems along the border, but said it continues to make consistent efforts to target them along with U.S. authorities. Additionally, the Mexican Foreign Ministry wrote to Richardson saying it has requested Mexican consuls in Albuquerque, N.M. and El Paso, Texas to meet “as soon as possible” with New Mexico officials “to promote pertinent action by the authorities of both countries in the framework of existing institutional mechanisms.”
CNN, KXTV (California) and the Phoenix Business Journal contributed to this report.