Arizona legislators want the state to contract to have a private prison built in Mexico to house illegal immigrants now incarcerated in Arizona for crimes committed in the state.

The House voted 36-17 for the Senate-passed bill (H2709) April 25, and it is ready for Governor Napolitano.

Supporters say the proposal will reduce costs in imprisoning the 3,600 to 4,000 illegal immigrants in Arizona prisons who have been convicted of crimes.

Opponents question whether there would be savings, whether the state has the legal authority to move the foreign prisoners to Mexico and whether Mexico would welcome the prison.

Ms. Napolitano hasn’t taken a public position on the bill, but she generally opposes private prisons.

The bill is one of many moving through the Legislature that tries to confront the problems caused by illegal immigration.

More than any other state in recent years, Arizona has been flooded with illegal immigrant traffic since the government tightened enforcement in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego during the mid-1990s.

Several Arizona lawmakers have said the federal government hasn’t done enough to confront illegal immigration and therefore has dumped massive costs on the state.

Ms. Napolitano has tried unsuccessfully to get the federal government to pay for nearly $118 million in unreimbursed costs for imprisoning illegal immigrants convicted of committing crimes in the state. —

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