Arizona Governor asks Fed.’s to pay back $118 million dollars used to house criminal Immigrants in state prison facilities for the past 18 months.

The Gov. sent U.S Attorney General Alberto Gonzales a letter and two detailed invoices, demanding payment.

A Fed program SCCAP or State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, mandates that the federal Government must pay to the State, the cost incurred by the State to incarcerate and hold till deportation or disposition, Illegal aliens.

The program was implemented in 1995 by Congress to reimburse local and county government’s nation wide.

Last year Pima County received just under $750,00.00 from the program. Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckeiberry estimated the county spends from 8 to 10 million dollars a year to house immigrants in our jail system.

The Bush Administration asks Congress to eliminate the program from the federal budget.