Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
February 2, 2007
By Matthew Benson, The Arizona Republic
Weeks after four National Guard members stood down when approached by gunmen at the Arizona border, a legislator presented a plan to deploy additional guardsmen and give them new authority to make arrests.
Thursday's proposal by Rep. Warde Nichols, likely to be introduced Monday, would make available $10 million from state coffers.
Gov. Janet Napolitano would be able to access the money, enough to fund 100 guardsmen for one year, as long as her deployment placed Guard members in an active role with the ability to confront and detain undocumented immigrants.
Nichols' hope is to avoid incidents such as one that occurred near Sasabe on Jan. 3, when four Guard members manning an observation post were approached by a handful of gunmen.
One of the gunmen came within 16 yards; Guard members called for Border Patrol and left their post.
Border Patrol arrived within minutes, but by then, the gunmen had disappeared into Mexico.
"We have National Guard men and women on the border right now that are at risk. Their lives are at risk," said Nichols, R-Gilbert. "They're basically in a position where they can't defend themselves unless fired upon."
Guardsmen at the border as part of Operation Jump Start are in a backup role, meaning they can build fences and roads, perform administrative duties or man observation posts. Confrontations with undocumented immigrants are not allowed.
But Rep. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, noted that Guard members in observation posts are armed and that the Arizona adjutant general has said they may respond if threatened.
A ramping-up of more troops with more responsibilities would do little to help matters along the border, Gallardo said.
"Bloodshed along the border is not the solution to our immigration problem," he said. "The idea of shoot-first, ask-questions-later is not the solution to our immigration problem."
Napolitano, a Democrat, vetoed a bill similar to Nichols' last year. But, unlike last year's measure, this bill gives the governor discretion in deciding whether to deploy Arizona National Guard.
How effective would Nichols' plan be? Over the course of a year, $10 million would fund less than one guardsman for every four miles of the state's southern border.
"But it's the symbolism," said Arizona State University political science Professor Rodolfo Espino. "It does perhaps send a message to Congress and the White House that this is an issue that does need to be dealt with."
February 2, 2007
By Matthew Benson, The Arizona Republic
Weeks after four National Guard members stood down when approached by gunmen at the Arizona border, a legislator presented a plan to deploy additional guardsmen and give them new authority to make arrests.
Thursday's proposal by Rep. Warde Nichols, likely to be introduced Monday, would make available $10 million from state coffers.
Gov. Janet Napolitano would be able to access the money, enough to fund 100 guardsmen for one year, as long as her deployment placed Guard members in an active role with the ability to confront and detain undocumented immigrants.
Nichols' hope is to avoid incidents such as one that occurred near Sasabe on Jan. 3, when four Guard members manning an observation post were approached by a handful of gunmen.
One of the gunmen came within 16 yards; Guard members called for Border Patrol and left their post.
Border Patrol arrived within minutes, but by then, the gunmen had disappeared into Mexico.
"We have National Guard men and women on the border right now that are at risk. Their lives are at risk," said Nichols, R-Gilbert. "They're basically in a position where they can't defend themselves unless fired upon."
Guardsmen at the border as part of Operation Jump Start are in a backup role, meaning they can build fences and roads, perform administrative duties or man observation posts. Confrontations with undocumented immigrants are not allowed.
But Rep. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, noted that Guard members in observation posts are armed and that the Arizona adjutant general has said they may respond if threatened.
A ramping-up of more troops with more responsibilities would do little to help matters along the border, Gallardo said.
"Bloodshed along the border is not the solution to our immigration problem," he said. "The idea of shoot-first, ask-questions-later is not the solution to our immigration problem."
Napolitano, a Democrat, vetoed a bill similar to Nichols' last year. But, unlike last year's measure, this bill gives the governor discretion in deciding whether to deploy Arizona National Guard.
How effective would Nichols' plan be? Over the course of a year, $10 million would fund less than one guardsman for every four miles of the state's southern border.
"But it's the symbolism," said Arizona State University political science Professor Rodolfo Espino. "It does perhaps send a message to Congress and the White House that this is an issue that does need to be dealt with."