Governor, Obama meet over Ariz. law

June 4, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Facing off over illegal immigration, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer told President Barack Obama that Americans “want our border secured” and called Thursday for completion of a separating fence. Obama underscored his objections that the tough immigration law she signed is discriminatory.

Meeting in the Oval Office, Obama said Arizona’s law and similar efforts by more than 20 states would interfere with the federal government’s responsibility to set and enforce immigration policy.

Neither side appeared to give ground on the contentious issue, although both talked about seeking a bipartisan solution.

Obama urged her to “be his partner” in working toward a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s badly fractured immigration system. Brewer told The Associated Press afterward that she told Obama her state is not ready for the comprehensive solution he favors.

“I said we need to have the fence completed, have more troops on the border and more resources” for aerial surveillance, she said.

Thursday’s unusual meeting between the president and the governor was a byproduct of Brewer’s decision to sign a first-in-the-nation law requiring police enforcing other laws to check immigration status if they suspect someone is in the country illegally. The law also makes being in the U.S. illegally a state crime. Brewer sought the meeting, and the White House accepted.

Emerging from the half-hour session, Brewer said Obama had assured her that the majority of the 1,200 National Guard troops he is sending to the U.S.-Mexico border would be going to her state.