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Register for draft, jailed migrants
told
Daniel Gonz�lez
Jan. 13, 2004: (The Arizona
Republic) Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, citing war and terrorism
concerns, said Monday that he is ordering all undocumented immigrants
currently in jail to register for the draft.
"My point is if you come here illegally and you are going to receive
benefits from this great country, the United
States of America, you should follow the
law and register for the Selective Service. And if you get called up, you
should fight for this country,"Arpaio said.
There are about 500 undocumented immigrants housed in the county's jail
system who have not complied with a 1980 federal law that requires all young
men between 18 and 26 to register for the draft, regardless of their
immigration status, Arpaio said. An additional 2,300 inmates, out of 8,700
total inmates, will also be ordered to register because they failed to do so
earlier, Arpaio said. Arpaio will begin registering the inmates Wednesday at Tent
City.
"I can't say that I've ever heard anything like this, but we do
appreciate any effort toward compliance," said Dan Amon, a spokesman for
the Selective Service System in Washington, D.C.
Arizona's compliance rate is
about 83 percent, compared with 90 percent nationally, Amon said.
The country's draft ended 30 years ago and was replaced by an all-volunteer
military. Although some members of Congress have proposed reinstating the
draft, the Department of Defense recently concluded the draft was not needed
to fight the war on terrorism or the war in Iraq,
Amon said. Technically, Arpaio cannot force inmates to register because
federal law exempts prison inmates from registering for the draft until after
they are released, Amon said.
Nevertheless, Amon said, "I think your sheriff may be doing these
individuals a favor because registering for the Selective Service is tied to
a number of benefits including (citizenship). If they are illegals and they
want to (legalize) their status, the first thing they would be asked is
whether they registered for the Selective Service."
Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox agreed, saying, "This could
be a pathway to permanent residence."
Reach the reporter at daniel.gonzalez@ arizonarepubic.com or at (602)
444-8312.
Copyright: Copyright 2004, azcentral.com.
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