New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson rarely sits on the fence on many issues affecting his state, but there is one imaginary fence he would like to see put in place. His expressed desire to prevent illegal immigration from the south is not a secret and while it has gained a lot of support in recent years, it has also created numerous detractors.
According to USA Election Polls (USAElectionPolls.com), Richardson is only weighing in at 1% but also holding a nice percentage of the Western state support.
While he does not condone constructing a physical fence along the border, he does push for stiffer penalties for companies who nurture illegal immigration by hiring workers in the country illegally. He pushed for immigration reform policies as well as working with Mexico is stemming the flow of illegals across the border. He also does not believe it is a reasonable goal to send over 12 million illegal immigrants back over the border.
He does, as governor of this border state see the need for more law enforcement efforts and the positive effects that a nearly $2 million infusion into law enforcement had in reducing the crime rate in border towns. Not all of the crime, he points out is committed by illegal aliens, but the push for better enforcement and the resulting drop in the crime rate is instrumental in helping to secure the borders against a criminal element.
While the nation was waiting for an increase in border agents, Richardson’s state was one of the first to supplement the border patrol with National Guard troops. A move he made under the assumption that it was temporary and the troops would be replaced by trained border agents. Something he is still waiting to see become reality.
