Jan
12
Written by:
Mark Lavergne
1/12/2010 5:19 PM
Kay Bailey Hutchison, challenging Gov.
Rick Perry for the GOP nomination for Texas Governor, today unveiled her
plan to address illegal immigration.
Hutchison's plan, for starters, includes expanding the participation of state and local law enforcement in the federal 287(g) program, so-named for a 1996 addition to federal law that allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to train certain state and local law enforcement officials to help enforce federal immigration laws. So, under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Dept. of Homeland Security and the state or local law enforcement agency, an officer would be "cross-designated" as an agent of ICE. The cross-designated officer would then have the authority to identify, process, and detain illegal immigrants he encounters during his regular daily law enforcement activity.
Hutchison's release said no Texas state agencies have entered into 287(g) agreements with ICE since it was passed, though 10 other states have. Hutchison said she would require the Texas Dept. of Public Safety to do so.
Hutchison also said today that state policy should require employment eligibility verification for state government job candidates using the DHS's E-Verify system. Hutchison spokesman
Joe Pounder said it was intended as a "first step" and did not rule out the possibility of such measures applying to other employers in the future.
Hutchison also called for an end to "sanctuary city" policies, such as in Houston and other cities where law enforcement officials are expected not to ask a suspect about his citizenship states. Hutchison "believes that local government entities should take full advantage of border security tools at their disposal, and work with the legislature and local leaders to ensure that obligation is met."
The Senator also proposed allowing retired law enforcement and military officers to assist local government border enforcement efforts, and allowing law enforcement officers to keep their insurance coverage when they cross county lines while working on border security.
The unveiling of Hutchison's plan today provided the occasion for further sniping between the two campaigns. Perry pre-empted her announcement with a claim that during her 17-year career in -- all together now -- "Washington," she has "failed to uphold the federal government's responsibility to secure our border." After releasing Hutchison's plan, her campaign issued a response calling Perry's border security plan a "boondoggle."