Being next to the border, are illegal aliens a problem

[Bluesmama]

I've been under the impression that California and Texas puts up with more crap than Arizona.

[stevek64]

Moderator cut: non-Arizona related post deleted and orphaned reply removed

All Arizona businesses in my view should certainly take advantage of E-Verify or face penalties. And most importantly, enforce these penalties with big fines, and I bet the word will get around pretty quick when the bottom line is effected. So yes, E-Verify would certainly allow our country to benefit from hard working immigrants(I agree many are great workers) that you mentioned above in a previous post but keeping check on who's in AZ and in our country. And there are many citizens in our state who need jobs that I feel should be given hiring preference before guest workers. I've known very hard working citizens who have done manual labor jobs for us in AZ that work just as hard as anyone with a great work ethic and do quality work.

As for the ethics/morality angle....while I can certainly understand the appeal in one wanting to cross over the border to states like AZ for better pay/living conditions, Mexico for some years now has instituted welfare programs:

Poverty in Mexico: Economic Crises and 21st Century Welfare

Such programs should make it less/much less of a dire situation in regards to starving to death for those in Mexico to cross over into Arizona. I'm not sure if Central American countries have the same type of welfare programs.

And while I certainly understand one wanting a better life, escaping from poverty, etc., the US with its own huge deficit and AZ with its own deficit and issues that haven't been addressed can't afford to save the world. And threaten the security of our state and the nation by letting people sneak in unchecked over our AZ border. While hard working illegal aliens certainly benefit some on certain levels(in my view, mostly business), it costs our state in many other ways as we have to look at, the net factor of +/-....overcrowding even more our already crowded AZ classrooms, tax revenue lost(illegals aliens don't pay AZ state or federal income tax on their income), costing our AZ health care system of which if one is illegal they don't pay into but use our costly emergency centers for any kind of care, having no idea who is sneaking into AZ, etc. So while AZ citizens indeed might get a great rate on some work, we all pay out of the other pocket. And one thing that doesn't get mentioned very often is if a another country is that poverty stricken and its citizens leave for such reason(s), it gives no incentive to the people living in that country to fix their own issues as the citizens just waltz over unchecked over the border into AZ instead of rising up to their government and demanding change/fixing their own country. It has happened countless times in history(communism in Europe most recently where commoners rose up in masses to demand change and got it). But it will not happen if the AZ border remains porous and people know they can take the "easier" way out and not address the root cause problems in their own country.

[copjak]

In my town there are more problems with locals (many of whom are California transplants) who have drug problems.

[RichCapeCod]

It's a complex problem, with lots of posturing on both sides. Just published a book on the matter:

The Third Nation: Life along the southern border fence: Mr. Richard P Rosenthal: 9781514633755: Amazon.com: Books

Bottom line; as with any change in demographics, after enough years go by the situation normalizes. As for problems in the area right around the border, I spoke with Sheriff Tony Estrada, Santa Cruz County. His comment to me was, there are so many law officers in the border area the place has few crime problems. He also told me that the cartels don't want trouble right on the border, it brings too much heat on them.

Rich

[Packard fan]

Originally Posted by ABQConvict

Interesting. A bunch of internet tough guys with their black gun fetish and a bunch of head-in-the-sand bleeding hearts. That sounds like a bigger problem for AZ than the illegals themselves.

I wonder if there is anyone in AZ who thinks there is a middle ground between murdering illegals and ignoring/welcoming them?

Just deport any KNOWN illegal alien if "contacted" by the cops. Not just Spanish speaking Indians either; blond hair blue eyed Swedes if here illegally are as bad and their kind needs to leave the US too.

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by RichCapeCod

It's a complex problem, with lots of posturing on both sides. Just published a book on the matter:

The Third Nation: Life along the southern border fence: Mr. Richard P Rosenthal: 9781514633755: Amazon.com: Books

Bottom line; as with any change in demographics, after enough years go by the situation normalizes. As for problems in the area right around the border, I spoke with Sheriff Tony Estrada, Santa Cruz County. His comment to me was, there are so many law officers in the border area the place has few crime problems. He also told me that the cartels don't want trouble right on the border, it brings too much heat on them.

Rich

Yup, as a resident of the general area that's what I've been telling people for years now. The whole "the border area is a war zone" garbage is just utter nonsense completely unrelated to reality. I feel way safer here than I did living up in Seattle. Most of that stuff is just over-inflated by folks on the Right trying to push their agenda with a bunch of unnecessary fear-mongering.

Is illegal immigration a problem?
Of course it it.
Does that somehow make the border area some kind of "killing zone"?
No way, no how.

Ken

[themudpuppy]

I live close to the border. When I moved here our neighborhood was pretty safe. We'd get some illegals passing through, but they weren't much trouble and they would leave us alone. Over the past year the illegal problem has escalated. Now we have a problem with stash houses, both drugs and human, and illegals coming up to your door demanding things. If you give them what they want (mostly food or water but sometimes they demand money), they'll usually take it and leave, but if you don't, then you can have trouble. A neighbor on my street had a knife pulled on him when he refused to give them anything. A house on our street got raided. It's not a war zone, but there are areas along the border that do have a problem with them, and it's getting worse.

[keninaz]

Crime has increased near the borders over the years.
My wife was born and raised in Tombstone and we lived 8 miles from the border in the Herford area for about 8 years until we got tired of it and left that area 8 years ago. I was also stationed with the Army for a couple of years at Fort Huachuca, AZ and I don't remember the large numbers of illegals and the problems with drugs that are in the area now.
It's just not the same