Border Counties Criminal Justice Cost Study

In February, 2001, the University of Arizona's School of Public Administration and Policy, with assistance from three other border universities, conducted research and published Illegal Immigrants in the U.S./Mexico Border Counties: The Costs of Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice, and Emergency Medical Services, on the costs to the 24 border counties of providing services to criminal illegal immigrants through their law enforcement, criminal justice and emergency medical systems for fiscal year 1999. The FY 1999 study did not go into depth to identify and quantify the costs to border states, counties farther north, Indian tribes on the border, municipal police departments, and hospital. Additionally, the estimated cost to border counties does account for other costs of illegal immigration in terms of private and public property damage and/or property loss, or environmental degradation of state and federal lands. This new proposal seeks funding to update the original 2001 study by providing the most current costs to border counties of providing services to criminal illegal immigrants through the law enforcement and criminal justice systems. Estimated costs would represent those for fiscal year 2004, the most recent year for which financial statements are audited. Data used to estimate costs to counties will include cost information from medical examiners for disposal and burial of illegal immigrants. CA/NCF