01/20/05 County says it has immigration disaster

Canyon County Commissioners Robert Vasquez and Dave Ferdinand are asking Governor Dirk Kempthorne to declare 'a disaster emergency in the form of imminent threat of invasion.' Ferdinand says the invaders are illegal aliens who have put a strain on the county's budget. FERDINAND "This year alone 20 percent increase in requests for indigent care from the illegal population." Ferdinand says that Canyon County shouldn't have to pay for illegal aliens because of the federal government's inadequacies in border security. FERDINAND "Because of the costs and the access to service for the constituents and citizens of Canyon County could be deterred and those are the things that we're really looking at." The commissioners say their request to the governor is not intended to disrupt agriculture in their county. FERDINAND "Those people who are in this country to help in the agricultural processing are here for a reason. We're talking about a large group of people that aren't here and they're certainly not a part of the farm labor force." Vasquez came up with the resolution idea after learning the Mexican government had published a guide for migrants who want to enter the US. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott