The NEW Senate Site has a post up that is must reading (actually you really should be following them anyway - it's a wealth of information).  The post is by Senator (and Ogden City Police Chief) John Greiner and it confirms what many have long suspected.....

For those interested in the immigration discussion, here is a report from one of my team leaders on the Weber/Morgan Narcotics Strike Force.  Joe Pyrah used some of these stats in  Police: Illegals responsible for much of drug trade

From: Burnett, Troy
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 2:45 PM
Subject: Illegal Alien effect on Drug Crime in Weber and Morgan Counties

In recent weeks, there has been a lot of discussion and debate over the new law in Arizona dealing with illegal aliens. Locally, there has been debate over the effects of such a law in Utah. Salt Lake City Police Chief Burbank is an outspoken opponent to such a law with Representative Carl Wimmer being a vocal proponent. See http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=10598798.

The Strike Force would like to supply you with facts as it relates to Illegal aliens and the drug activity in Weber and Morgan Counties.

From May 2009 to May 2010, Strike Force Agents made 483 drug related arrests. Of those 38, or approximately 8%, were illegal aliens. Those 38 illegal aliens were responsible for 82% of the total drugs seized in that time period, which relates to 17.11 pounds of methamphetamine, 12.86 pounds of cocaine, 1.5 pounds of heroin and 225.16 pounds of marijuana.  The Drug Enforcement Administration states in its drug threat assessment for Utah, “Drug Situation: Mexican poly-drug trafficking organizations dominate all facets of illegal narcotics distribution throughout Utah. Sources of supply for methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana are primarily located in Mexico, California, the Southwest, and the Pacific Northwest.” See http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/state_factsheets/utah.html.

In conclusion, if Utah enacted a law similar to the Arizona law, dealing with illegal aliens, the Strike Force would likely see a drastic reduction in the supply of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and marijuana in Weber and Morgan Counties. We would expect to see the price of these drugs increase dramatically, reducing the number of new addicts and a significant reduction in the peripheral crime (burglary, theft and identity/check fraud) associated with drug addicts.

Listed below are some of the cases involving illegal aliens within the last year: [Case studies deleted - call if you need them.]

. . . .

Sergeant Troy Burnett
Weber/Morgan Narcotics Strike Force

Morgan and Weber counties are not the only ones noticing this.  Reports out of Utah County are just as dramatic.

A lot of the stories centered around undocumented immigrants deal with hard-working people trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. While much of that is true, Utah is also being flooded with illicit drugs brought in large part by those in the country illegally.

Most of the groups busted by the Utah County Major Crimes task force are made up of Hispanics, director Lt. Phil Murphy said.

"The majority of them are not residents," he said.

All along the border, law enforcement officials are pleading with the feds to help stem the flow of illegal drugs that illegal immigrants bring daily into this country.

Along the newly fenced Mexican border, dangerous and heavily armed groups are increasingly smuggling people as well as dope — and U.S. border investigators must dedicate more time to dismantle their organizations, according to a Government Accounting Office report released to Congress Thursday.

Though Congress has increased the Border Patrol to an all-time high of 20,000 officers, a small cadre of specialized federal investigators assigned to Immigration & Customs Enforcement devotes 16 percent of its time to probing the netherworld of border smuggling. And some border specialists have gotten stuck shuffling detainees instead of pursuing criminal leads, according to the GAO report presented Thursday to the U.S. House's border subcommittee....

The GAO report suggests the U.S. government look to Arizona for inspiration on how to disrupt smugglers' financial networks. At the hearing, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard described how he's worked to cut off money to criminal groups, successfully targeting used car lots, money transfer agencies, travel agents, drop houses and other businesses linked to smuggling and money laundering.

In an interview, Tre Rebstock, an ICE agent who is president of the local officers' union in Houston, said agents would "love to see more resources" for smuggling operations across the Southwest.

"Anyone in investigative work will tell you 'Follow the money' anytime you want to know what's going on," he said. "I would love to see them track these people by their money. No one likes to be separated from their money."

In addition I got this data from a friend in Arizona (who lives close enough to the border to be totally engulfed in the story)

The following information is compiled from Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security reports(for 2006 ed):

* 83% of warrants for murder in Phoenix are for illegal aliens.

* 86% of warrants for murder in Albuquerque are for illegal aliens.

* 75% of those on the most wanted list in Los Angeles , Phoenix and Albuquerque are illegal aliens.

* 24.9% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals

* 40.1% of all inmates in Arizona detention centers are Mexican nationals

* 48.2% of all inmates in New Mexico detention centers are Mexican nationals

* 29% (630,000) convicted illegal alien felons fill our state and Federal prisons at a cost of $1.6 billion annually

* 53% plus of all investigated burglaries reported in California, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and Texas are perpetrated by illegal aliens.

* 50% plus of all gang members in Los Angeles are illegal aliens

* 71% plus of all apprehended cars stolen in 2005 in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California were stolen by Illegal aliens or "transport coyotes".

* 47% of cited/stopped drivers in California have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 47%, 92% are illegal aliens.

* 63% of cited/stopped drivers in Arizona have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 63%, 97% are illegal aliens

* 66% of cited/stopped drivers in New Mexico have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 66% 98% are illegal aliens.

Now thankfully for Arizona, those statistics have gone down since 2006.....as Arizona has stepped up THEIR enforcement of the law in their state.  These are crime stats that would go down all across the board if the federal government actually DID IT's job and enforced the border.

I am certainly not saying we need an Arizona style law here in Utah.  My ultimate solution to the problem is for the FEDS to step up and do the job.  It IS their job.  However, just because they refuse to do their job, does not mean that we should sit idly on our hands and leave the job undone.  The job MUST be done and if the Feds refuse to do it, then the states are obliged to step in and do the job.  It is OUR JOB as citizens to make sure that we stay engaged with our legislators as they do attempt to do the job the Feds refuse to do.