Speech #CREC-2017-03-28-pt1-PgS2050_t1

FLAKE. Mr. President, border security is one of the Federal Government's most important responsibilities, and the Federal Government has no better partners than local law enforcement agencies from border communities like those in my home State of Arizona. These officers and deputies serve on the front lines. They provide critical assistance to the missions of Federal agencies. Unfortunately, these efforts are expensive and the locals end up picking up most of the tab. For example, local law enforcement agencies hold those facing immigration violations at county-operated jails, and they provide medical care for the undocumented inmates while they are in custody. In providing these services, Arizona's counties have incurred more than $310 million in costs associated with criminal undocumented immigrants since 2009. That is $310 million since 2009. Despite these enormous costs, the Federal Government has left many local jurisdictions to shoulder the burdens of illegal immigration on their own. This is particularly frustrating when so many of our local law enforcement agencies are already struggling to carry out basic duties on overstretched budgets. I hope we can all look forward to a time when we have the appropriate resources for securing the border, the means for those seeking to fill the needs of our economy to enter the country legally, a remedy for those who are here already illegally, and also a way for employers to ensure that those whom they hire are legally present. These critical steps toward solving our immigration problems will require Congress to act. However, in the meantime, we can't continue to allow the Federal Government to pass off immigration responsibilities onto cash-strapped local agencies. That is why I wish today to introduce a bill to reauthorize and reform the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, better known as SCAAP. This bill is cosponsored by my friend and colleague, John McCain, and is supported by the Arizona Sheriffs Association. SCAAP is a Federal program that reimburses State, local, and Tribal law enforcement for the costs associated with incarcerating and caring for criminal undocumented immigrants while in custody. To ensure that local law enforcement receives sufficient reimbursement under SCAAP, my bill would make some commonsense reforms under the program. The bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to reauthorize SCAAP through fiscal year 2021. Reauthorizing this program will provide local law enforcement agencies in Arizona and across the country with the certainty that any costs incurred from incarcerating criminal immigrants will be covered by Federal reimbursements. Our State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies are committed to partnering with the Federal Government on immigration enforcement. But that partnership can't succeed unless the Federal Government provides the necessary reimbursements for those services. As Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels said: Arizona's counties continue to struggle under the fiscal strain of anemic growth in rural areas and cost-shifts from the State of Arizona.