Madam Speaker. I rise today to express my support for fully funding the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. also known as SCAAP. at its authorized level for fiscal year 2008 at $950 million. This program. which reimburses State and local governments for the cost of incarcerating illegal immigrants. is vital to border States such as Arizona. where we disproportionately pay a higher amount than our fair share of incarceration. Underfunding SCAAP places a significant cost burden on our local law enforcement. stretching their resources and hampering their ability to protect our communities. All of the counties in my district. Pima. Cochise. Pinal and Santa Cruz. are reimbursed less than 10 percent of the amount of Incarcerating illegal immigrants. This places an unfair cost burden on our local communities. Given the importance of homeland security and law enforcement. it is absolutely essential that we receive full funding for SCAAP.
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illegal immigrants