Is Idaho soft on illegal aliens?

[MajorHart]

Originally Posted by crittersitter

Activities such as drugs, gangs, etc.

One of the reasons I asked about illegals is because I am beginning to see a trend in some other states where they are cracking down on employers that hire illegals (Oklahoma & Arizona - maybe Missouri and Arkansas to follow). Illegals have been reported to be packing up and leaving OK & AZ due to the stricter laws but they are going to other more illegal friendly states. I was just hoping that Idaho wouldn't be one of them. It is such a great state that I would not want to see it ruined. The financial drain and crime that results from a huge influx of illegals in a state can be dire.

We are interested in idaho for just those reasons - I've already told of our bad experiences in Arizona and California so wont repeat them but that and the increasing tornadoes in the plains states and frankly almost everywhere east of the rockies causes us to research places like Boise and Lewiston.

MajorHart

[blackhillsdreams]

There is an article about a idaho teacher tossing a mexican flag in the trash that a student brought to school on cinco de mayo here: Idaho student says teacher tossed his Mexican flag in trash - Yahoo! News

If you read it, you'll see that the teacher is saying roughly 30% of the school is hispanic and he felt like he was forced to take the flag to minimize the chance of a conflict and that there are a lot of fights. He also mentions that the student's English language skills aren't very good or something like that. Without all the details or having seen the incident, I can't say how I feel one way or another about it but my sense is to lean on the side of the teacher. If (and it is a big IF at this point) the student is a "gang banger" type of kid with an attitude, doesn't speak English very well, isn't a very good student and was being disruptive, I don't blame the teacher a bit. On the other hand, if the student is a legal resident, tries to be a good student, and wasn't being disruptive, I'd have to question what the teacher was thinking...

I had a call about a potential job in Idaho Falls earlier this week so I've been looking around here for information. I'm usually on the South Dakota forum because I really want to move there. South Dakota has one of the lowest illegal populations in the country and I really liked that a lot.

[esselcue]

Not sure who was right or wrong, teacher or student, as I was not there, but I do not think Cinco de Mayo is something that needs to be celebrated in our schools. It is not Mexico's Independence Day (that is in September)...May 5th (Cinco de Mayo) commemmorates the victory of Mexican forces over French forces at the battle of Puebla in 1862. The date is celebrated as a regional holiday, primarily in the state of Puebla and observed as a celebration of Mexican heritage. It is NOT an obligatory Federal holiday in Mexico...and certainly has nothing to do with America. Here in Arizona, where I am hoping to move FROM in the next year, Cinco de Mayo is simply a reason to party. Nothing more. [MOD CUT: Sorry, it's a fine line between addressing issues germane to Idaho State versus the larger political issues of immigration policy which is off topic for state forums]

[Sandpointian]

The problem of illegals in NID is primarily what resides in between the ears of newbies who have arrived from the border states. While from a national security POV, controlling our borders should be a concern of the entire citizenry, from the perspective of day-to-day parallel economy issues as one sees in SoCal, Vegas, Arizona and Texas bordertowns is simply not a top tier issue in Northern Idaho. Their battle stories grow tiresome up here where it there are bigger issues affecting our economy and community life.

In Southern Idaho, it is also a much smaller issue as many mistake braseros (contracted itinerant labourers with legal rights to be in the US) with illegals and legal immigrants. As the Boise area gets more expensive and local labour is no longer interested in back breaking work for minimal pay and no real job future, the problem of illegal workers will increase. Why? Area residents want it all: rural bucolic landscapes, cheap food, and new housing. Farmers cannot afford the roughly $40 per hour cost demanded by local labour (salary plus bennies) and face foreclosure. The fiananial temptation to import foreign workers is simply too great.

But take a deep breath. Unless you have no skills and have an over-inflated interpretation of your value on the market, it is unlikely that you will be adversely affected.

And a final comment: In my experience, the few illegal migrants we have seen in the SP have been well treated by my neighbors and friends. For us, illegals in the US has long been an issue that increases one's compassion in the flight of a fellow human being. As NID gets more connected to the global world and increases her exposure to the more discordant brand of illegals, the comfort we provide will likely change. Sad, but a fact of a growing and more connected community.