Texas Governor Perry says Arizona’s immigration law is not appropriate for Texas

April 30th, 2010 - 2:32 pm ICT by BNO News  

AUSTIN, TEXAS (BNO NEWS) – Texas Governor Rick Perry on Thursday said that Arizona’s immigration law would not be appropriatre for his state, saying the focus must remain on border security.

Texas has a long history with Mexico and shares the longest border with the country of all U.S. states - more than 1,200 miles. Both have had many encounters through history including an historic armed conflict which led to the Mexican-American War in 1846.

“As the debate on immigration reform intensifies, the focus must remain on border security and the federal government’s failure to adequately protect our borders. Securing our border is a federal responsibility, but it is a Texas problem, and it must be addressed before comprehensive immigration reform is discussed,” Perry said.

On April 19, Arizona passed the controversial immigration law, which gives police officers the authority as if they were immigration agents in order to detain illegal immigrants throughout the state.

“Recently, there has been much debate over immigration policy in Washington and what has been implemented in Arizona. I fully recognize and support a state’s right and obligation to protect its citizens, but I have concerns with portions of the law passed in Arizona and believe it would not be the right direction for Texas.”

“Some aspects of the law turn law enforcement officers into immigration officials by requiring them to determine immigration status during any lawful contact with a suspected alien, taking them away from their existing law enforcement duties, which are critical to keeping citizens safe.”

Recently, Governor Perry asked the federal government for 1,000 National Guardsmen to help Texas to secure its border and citizens alike. He also demanded predator drones to operate along the Mexico-Texas border.

“Until the federal government brings the necessary resources to bear, we will continue to commit state funding and resources for additional border security efforts in order to protect our communities and legitimate cross border trade and travel, while enforcing the laws already on the books,” Governor Perry declared.

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