Speech #1090138994

I would like to quote an article written this week. On May 23. 2006. Reuters posted an article titled "Bush Border Patrol Plan to Pressure Courts: Sources." That article said: President George W. Bushs plan to send thousands of National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border could spark a surge in immigration cases and U.S. courts are ill prepared to handle them. according to congressional and courts sources. . . Even without the steppedup security at the border. federal courts in southern California. Arizona. New Mexico and Texas have been overburdened. Carelli [a spokesman for U.S. federal courts] said those five judicial districts. out of 94 nationwide. account for 34 percent of all criminal cases moving through U.S. courts ... Most immigrants caught crossing illegally are ordered out of the country without prosecution. But that still leaves a growing pile of cases involving illegals who are being prosecuted after being caught multiple times or those accused of other crimes ... Nationwide. each U.S. judge handles an average of 87 cases a year. But along the southern border. even before Bushs plan moves forward. the average is around 300 per judge. Carelli said. Clearly. there is already a crisis regarding our Southwest border district courts immigration caseload. As we worked on S. 2611 to provide more resources to the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice. we should have also addressed the related needs of our U.S. district courts. Senators KYL.