A state lawmaker in Arizona announced on Monday his intention to revive plans to create a state volunteer force the governor could call on to patrol the border.
Previous attempts at passing such legislation in 2007 failed under then Gov. Janet Napolitano, who vetoed the law and called it “unnecessary,” pointing out that the Arizona Constitution already authorizes the governor to call out a volunteer militia.
Sen. Jack Harper is counting on a new Republican majority in the legislature and Gov. Jan Brewer to see his plan succeed this time around.
Harper is also going further, saying he has another proposal in the works that would require the governor to deploy not only the volunteers but the National Guard to the border if the federal government reduces the number of federally funded Guard soldiers now based there.
“When illegal aliens bring their families across the border, we end up educating their children. When they get caught (committing a crime), we end up paying for their incarceration,’’ he said. “So there’s a vested interest in stopping them at the border.’’
However, Brewer isn’t showing the signs Harper was hoping for, citing financial concerns and saying she is focusing instead on forcing the federal government to increase their role in protecting the border.
“At this point in time, I think the best thing to do is to work with the federal government,’’ she said. “It’s pretty obvious that the state doesn’t have a whole lot of money…There’s probably no way we’re going to be able to afford anything like that.’’
Harper is still hoping his vision of a civilian volunteer force patrolling the border will come to fruition and likened it to the volunteer possess some sheriff’s departments have and civilian volunteers that help local police departments.
“Obviously, they won’t be checking people’s citizenship status,’’ he said, saying his plan would require volunteers to call Border Patrol to actually apprehend suspects. “But you’d have a military force enforcing the border.’’
Were can I sign up to help. I’m sick of hearing this nonsence our government is not doing nothing about this border issue.