States and localities around the nation have been passing laws in recent weeks to withhold services from illegal immigrants. At the same time, some communities have explicitly decided not to make government services dependent on a person's immigration status.

"I don't believe, except in exigent circumstances, that we ought to be providing government services for those who are illegally here and in the same way we have to reduce the ability to get a job when you are illegally here. Those are two key important parts and cities do have an impact on that," Hutchinson stated.

Hutchinson, who is now a partner in the law firm Venable LLP and CEO of the Hutchinson Group in Little Rock, Ark., noted that states are working to comply with the Real ID Act, which require them to issue highly secure driver's licenses as a form of identification that also verifies US citizenship or legal residency.

Several states have voiced concerns about the costs of complying with Real ID requirements, however, and Hutchinson is sympathetic.

"The complaint largely centers around money. It is going to take an investment of money to create the systems that will ensure the integrity of a driver's license or a birth certificate," he commented. "I think that cost has to be shared. It is a state function, but it is very essential for security. I think it is one of the ways that the states can partner with the federal government to address this national problem. I am a strong supporter of the Real ID Act for that reason."

Hutchinson also acknowledged that despite considerable resources dedicated to US border security, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has much more to do to stop the mass migration of illegal immigrants along the US southern border before it can more effectively concentrate its resources on dealing with the threat of terrorists or potential terrorists violating immigration law.

"The Department of Homeland Security has the right strategy but we always have to work on the speed with which we implement that strategy. We have to keep that sense of urgency as we move forward on that strategy," Hutchinson said.