How has illegal immigration affected New Mexico? (Albuquerque, Las Cruces: fit in, crime)
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I attended NMHU during the 1970's and worked in Gallup as an educator for several years. Will be retiring in two years and I want to know what impact ( if any ) illegal immigration has had on quality of life issues in New Mexico? I currently reside in California and must say that that illegal immigration has had a mostly negative impact on our lives here. I work in the public schools and must say what I've seen in the past twenty years is unbelievable.
Last edited by leeson; 12-12-2006 at 08:55 AM..
Reason: spelling
From my own personal experience i would have to say no. There are illegals in New Mexico but i think they are accepted more than other states.
Im not so sure they have affected the quality of life. Its not like theyre a disease that can take New Mexico down one by one. New Mexico from what i understand has always had a lower quality of life than the rest of the states. And by that i mean income to expenditure ratio and abuse etc.
I have not seen or experienced any negative influences because of immigration from Mexico or elsewhere. Santa Fe once had a small gathering place for migrate workers which now seems too have nearly disappeared.
Pity for the poor folk that need work and can't get it.
I attended NMHU during the 1970's and worked in Gallup as an educator for several years. Will be retiring in two years and I want to know what impact ( if any ) illegal immigration has had on quality of life issues in New Mexico? I currently reside in California and must say that that illegal immigration has had a mostly negative impact on our lives here. I work in the public schools and must say what I've seen in the past twenty years is unbelievable.
Hello from another Californian here in NM:
If you want to read a bit of my background it is on another thread: "Californian? Moving to NM? Think again."
More info: My spouse is Hispanic, I am Caucasian. My mother was a master teacher with L.A. Unified. I am in Las Cruces.
1) The schools here are of poor quality and an official of one is being forced out. (Her last name is Diaz.) The State of NM is taking the district over. LULAC has gotten involved in her situation and is alleging racism (yawn, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz). I am not sure illegals have much to do with this situation. I think its just a matter of poverty and a lack of resources to offer the young as opposed to prized "homie" affliations.
Illegals are not too much of a problem here in LC as opposed to L.A. since they just pass through here on their way to bigger and better things. Also, the Las Cruces PD is federalized to enforce immigration violations and they do enforce this authority. This situation makes LC different than the northern part of the State such as Albuquerque (which I was warned has a very real crime problem) and Santa Fe which is politically sympathetic to illegals.
2) NMSU is a fourth-tier school according to USN&WR rankings. A certain number of students come from El Paso TX since the University of Texas, El Paso is even worse. I was told by a student that Tx'ans come to NMSU because "anyone can get in to UTEP. Its set up there so that Mexican nationals can get a subsidized U.S. university degree." I am not sure how many "anchor babies" and illegals attend NMSU, but illegals are granted in-state tuition status and are able to obtain grants and scholarships just like American kids.
I grew up in the Portales/Clovis area --- dairy country. All the dairies in the area use illegal alien labor, as do a good many of the construction companies. The impact on local economies is so vast that I don't know that there is any way to measure it accurately.
I grew up in the Portales/Clovis area --- dairy country. All the dairies in the area use illegal alien labor, as do a good many of the construction companies. The impact on local economies is so vast that I don't know that there is any way to measure it accurately.
Clovis is not near El Paso/Las Cruces, but the poster's mention of dairies reminded me of something similar outside Las Cruces.
NOTE to Californians: Close your vehicle's fresh-air vents while traveling East on the 10 Freeway to El Paso. The point where you may want to close your vents and go to re-circ is just past the exit to the 25 North while on the 10. Shortly after this offramp, a number of dairies will be on your right alongside the 10. The manure stench originates from there and continues all the way to the Texas border at which point you can re-open your vents. Also: trucks, vehicles towing trailers, and semis can go the posted speed limit in *all* lanes. The law that they have to stay in the slow lane or 2 right lanes is a CA safety law.
I attended NMHU during the 1970's and worked in Gallup as an educator for several years. Will be retiring in two years and I want to know what impact ( if any ) illegal immigration has had on quality of life issues in New Mexico? I currently reside in California and must say that that illegal immigration has had a mostly negative impact on our lives here. I work in the public schools and must say what I've seen in the past twenty years is unbelievable.
Living in New Mexico as long as I have, what I think is that illegal Mexicans dont want to settle here for the most part. They may work temp for awhile until they can move on. I am an Hispanic and I cringe when I hear people lump all Hispanics as Mexicans who are all for illegals, not on here but I hear it often. It is totally opposite! We dont want them coming here illegally taking our jobs and making it harder for us by providing cheaper labor. So because so many Hispanics already occupy New Mexico I think we have put out the NO Vacancy sign out to any illegals. We are not going to roll out the welcome mat to anyone coming here illegally.
Illegal immigration impacts NM in many positive ways and some negative ways as well.
The number of federal jobs in the state that deal with border issues, Border Patrol in particular have a large impact on the job picture. Costs for landscaping, construction and other manual labor industries are very low for the consumer as even the ones who hire legal employees have to compete with contractors who don't.
Negatives would primarily be health care costs. Our indigent health care system takes a large chunk of county and city revenues. Crime is minimal but there is no shortage of drugs and they are very cheap here.
The illegals themselves fit in much better here than other places because we have a large number of legal immigrants living here and spanish is widely spoken. I think this is a good thing. Diversity is cool.
Clovis is not near El Paso/Las Cruces, but the poster's mention of dairies reminded me of something similar outside Las Cruces.
NOTE to Californians: Close your vehicle's fresh-air vents while traveling East on the 10 Freeway to El Paso. The point where you may want to close your vents and go to re-circ is just past the exit to the 25 North while on the 10. Shortly after this offramp, a number of dairies will be on your right alongside the 10. The manure stench originates from there and continues all the way to the Texas border at which point you can re-open your vents. Also: trucks, vehicles towing trailers, and semis can go the posted speed limit in *all* lanes. The law that they have to stay in the slow lane or 2 right lanes is a CA safety law.
~Cali-girl
You can't breathe the air in Texas, either, especially around Amarillo. The stock yards are there, and the smell will choke you. And the feed lots in Nebraska are the worst of all. But be grateful for those evil-smelling places. That's what's feeding you.
On the subject of illegal aliens -- they're all over the Santa Fe area. When you need any kind of work done on your house (stucco, yard work, etc.) it's the illegals who get hired by local companies to do it. The animosity from long-time Hispanic families against the illegals is overwhelming. There's always trouble in the schools here between the American Hispanic kids and the Mexican kids. They curse each other out in Spanish before beating on each other.
Illegal Mexicans are so poor when they come here that they often have only the clothes they're standing in. I once gave a co-worker of mine some underwear for the men doing her landscaping, because they had none. Their poverty is unthinkable.
NM is full of illegals, but they blend in with the local population, so they can hide here.
Last edited by greatdanes; 12-13-2006 at 09:37 AM..
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originates from there and continues all the way to the Texas border at which point you can re-open your vents. Also: trucks, vehicles towing trailers, and semis can go the posted speed limit in *all* lanes. The law that they have to stay in the slow lane or 2 right lanes is a CA safety law.
