BORDER ENFORCMENT PRAISED

03/17/2012

 
A special border task force and increased federal support are being credited for helping reduce illegal migrant traffic along the U.S.-Mexico border in New Mexico.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports (http://bit.ly/yPEq3T) that ranchers on New Mexico's border praised this week the Southwestern Border Security Task Force for the dramatic drop in border arrests in just six years.

In 2005, government figures show that 122,679 people were arrested trying to enter illegally through the El Paso Sector, which includes New Mexico. Last year, only 10,345 were apprehended

in the same area - a more than 90 percent drop.

James Johnson, a rancher near Columbus, says he hadn't seen illegal border traffic this quiet in 30 years.

The task force is made up of a coalition of local and federal authorities.

 

SMITH OPPOSES LICENSE MEASURE

02/15/2012

 
_The Senate has approved a proposal to impose new restrictions on granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

Democrats pushed the measure as an alternative to a proposal by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez to stop New Mexico from granting licenses to illegal immigrants.

The Senate approved the bill late Monday night on a 27-15 vote. One Democrat, Senator John Arthur Smith of Deming, joined Republicans in opposing the measure.

The proposal will continue to grant licenses to illegal immigrants, but require fingerprinting of applicants and limit the licenses to one year. The state also can cancel previously issued licenses to foreign nationals if they no longer live in New Mexico.

The bill goes to the House, which has rejected a similar proposal. The governor also opposes the Senate-passed measure.