U.S. Border Control

States of Emergency declared in New Mexico, Arizona border counties

August 18, 2005

The governors of Arizona (Janet Napolitano) and New Mexico (Bill Richardson) have declared states of emergency along their troubled borders with Mexico. The action by two Democratic governors and the Bush administration's response reflected the political tensions that surround the nation's conflicting attitudes toward illegal immigration and border control.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security was embarrassed. It scrambled to defend itself from charges that it wasn't doing enough to combat the crime and violence associated with drug smuggling and illegal immigration, leading to the emergency declarations.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger expressed strong support for the actions of his neighboring governors. He said his state did not need to declare its own border emergency at the time, but that he would definitely consider it if conditions changed.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson first declared an emergency, in four counties that he said had been ``devastated by the ravages and terror of human smuggling, drug smuggling, kidnapping, murder, destruction of property and death of livestock.''

‘'I'm taking these serious steps because of the urgency of the situation and, unfortunately, because of the total inaction and lack of resources from the federal government and Congress,' Richardson said.

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano followed suit in four counties, declaring through a spokeswoman that the federal government ``has not done what it needs to do and has promised '' to deal with the problem.’’

Napolitano said that the 'flood of unauthorised immigration' had led to hundreds of deaths which have risen sharply this year an increase in violent crime, and trespassing that had 'damaged vegetation, wildlife and livestock'.

Schwarzenegger said he supported the two governors’ actions, calling the state of emergency “a terrific idea.” ``If there is a reason for it, we definitely will do that,'’ he said, adding that the nation must do more to secure its borders.

A spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, part of the Department of Homeland Security, tried to turn the problems that Richardson and Napolitano cited into a positive for the agency.

The violence on the border in Arizona and New Mexico, he contended ``Is one indication of gaining operational control of the border.'' he said. An enforcement drive in the Tucson sector of Arizona has forced illegal immigrants to cross the border in the counties Napolitano had declared disaster areas, he said. The agency had expected immigrants to go there and ``we had already permanently assigned an increase in staffing to those sectors,'' he said.

Stung by criticism, Mexico said the border is a shared duty

The Bush administration announced a new bilateral program with Mexico to prosecute human smugglers, called the Operation Against Smugglers Initiative on Safety and Security, although no money was earmarked for the program.

Some people were quick to accuse the governors of political maneuvering. Napolitano and Richardson face elections next year, and Richardson is thought to be considering seeking the presidency in 2008. The governor of Texas, a Republican, showed no sign of following his neighbors' examples.

But there was no such partisan edge to the reactions of leading Republican members of Congress from the two states or from Schwarzenegger.

``I think that it was terrific that Gov. Richardson was the first one to announce this state of emergency, because first of all he's Latino,'' Schwarzenegger said. ``So it was very clear -- because so many times when you make a move like that you're considered immediately a racist.''

Schwarzenegger also suggested that other states -- including California -- might follow New Mexico and Arizona's lead. ``So we are talking about that right now, and if we see a need for that we will do definitely the same thing,'' he said.

Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who has played a prominent role in Washington's continuing battles over immigration policy, said: ``It surprises me that (the governors) have waited this long. ... It's a dire situation in all of Arizona. The federal government has typically acted after the fact. Until we get a guest worker program, any effort will be marginal.''

Flake said Washington's efforts to boost the number of Border Patrol agents had failed. An intelligence bill in 2004 authorized 2,000 new border agents for the five years starting in 2006, but ``not a dime reached Border Patrol; it was all spent in Washington,'' he said. When President Bush signed the budget for fiscal year 2006, he authorized Customs and Border Protection to hire 210 additional agents.

``I think the governor's approach was called for,'' said Sen. Pete V. Domenici, R-N.M. ``I find no fault with it, given the turmoil in these communities along the border. I've spoken with the governor and told him so. We're finally to a boiling point.

Richardson' declaration freed $750,000 from state coffers for Luna, Hidalgo, Grant and Dona Ana counties and he pledged to provide $1 million more. Napolitano's action will funnel an estimated $1.5 million to Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties.

For their part, officials in the counties designated as disaster areas brushed aside questions of politics. They expressed gratitude for the emergency funding. And they offered grim, sometimes grisly glimpses of the burdens -- economic, social and psychological -- that drug and immigrant smuggling impose on ill-equipped communities along the border..

Chief Deputy Raymond Cobos of Luna County, N.M., said ''It was pretty bold, pretty brave on the governor's part.``