Gov. Bob Riley has asked for funding through the Homeland Security Department to train a third class of state troopers in the arrest of illegal aliens, but Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely says the training should extend to local law officers.

Alabama, one of three states where troopers are authorized to arrest illegal aliens, is looking to add to the 44 state officers trained in tracking illegal aliens already patrolling the roads. According to Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Martha Earnhardt, this does not mean that the department will hire more troopers, but rather add duties to existing troopers.

Earnhardt said that the state received two grants to train two classes of troopers, one class in 2003 and one in 2005, to enforce federal immigration laws. This is training they must have before they are authorized to make arrests. Troopers have arrested some 160 illegal aliens since the program began with the first defendant being a woman from Thailand, said Earnhardt.

Florida was the first state to participate in the federal immigration enforcement program, followed by Alabama and then Arkansas. Some city police departments in other states also participate.

The troopers do not raid industries that are suspected of employing illegals, but rather if they make traffic stops where immigrants are involved, they can arrest them if they have fraudulent papers or driver licenses or if they are under a deportation order, Earnhardt said.

“This is a reactive program, not a proactive,” said Earnhardt. “We will not conduct raids or roundups, but will be working within state probable cause.”

However, Blakely said local law enforcement officers are involved in more than traffic stops and should also have authority to enforce federal immigration law.

“Rep. Micky Hammon (R-Decatur) is trying to establish a pilot program through a grant from Sen. Jeff Session’s office for the Morgan and Limestone sheriffs’ offices,” said Blakely. “It makes more sense that we should be trained than the state troopers. They just do traffic stops, while we do assaults, thefts, and other crimes. We are just more involved with dealing with the public.”

However, the governor has stated that the Department of Public Safety would help any Alabama police departments that want to apply for the federal training.

“I think you’re going to see in the very near future that sheriff’s deputies in Morgan and Limestone counties will receive this training,” said Blakely.