Arizona and New Immigration Laws

If you watch or read the news at all, you know that Arizona recently passed a tough illegal immigration law.  According to an article in my morning paper that was submitted by the Associated Press, Arizona has "become the center of national immigration debate."  If you don't know what the law is about, to put it plainly, the new law "makes it a state crime to be in the U.S. illegally and it directs police to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal."  Lawmakers and our own coconut in the White House have declared the law unconstitutional and have said it will lead to racial profiling and harassment by the police. 

In signing this policy into law, Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona has stated,

"The new state misdemeanor crime of failure to complete or carry an alien registration document is adopted verbatim from the same offense found in federal statute," she said. "I will not tolerate racial discrimination or racial profiling in Arizona."

I think most of my readers know how I feel about immigration, especially the illegal kind.  If you aren't sure or don't remember, you could read a post about my feelings here.  I applaud Governor Brewer and her courage to take care of a situation in her state that has been all but ignored nationally for generations.  Every president promises to do something about illegal immigration, but none of them actually follow through.  Why?  Because the Hispanic population carries a lot of political weight.  They lobby, they boycott, they are a force to be reckoned with.  And I am not against legal immigration.  I'm all for it.  At one point or another, almost all of us have ancestors that immigrated to North America.

For those that think Governor Brewer is wrong in trying to protect the state she is responsible for, let me share a few statistics that were in that same news article I read this morning.

• Arizona is home to approx. 460,000 illegal immigrants
• In the past 3 yrs. Border Patrol agents in Arizona have arrested an avg. of 900 illegals entering Arizona EVERY DAY
• Federal agents seized approx. 1.2 million pounds of marijuana in Arizona last year.  That is roughly 1.5 tons PER DAY
• Last week 67 illegals were found crammed into the back of a U-Haul entering Arizona.  This happens EVERY DAY

These figures represent just ONE of the states that border Mexico.  I live in California and I'm sure there are similar statistics for my state.  We can look at this situation in another way.  Although I have never traveled outside of the U.S. I know there are certain requirements for doing so.

• To cross the border out of the USA I must carry a passport.
• To travel to MEXICO:
• If I'm under 18, I am required to also carry notarized permission from my parent or guardian
• If I'm planning an extended stay to any country I need a visa.
• I can expect that I will be questioned about my travel plans as I leave the US and as I enter the country I am visiting
• I can expect that my travel documents will be inspected when I leave the US and I enter the country I am visiting
• I can expect that if I am stopped for any reason while in the foreign country, I will be required to show identification and the documents that allow me to be in that country.

These requirements are for my own protection, the protection of the United States and the protection of the country I am visiting.  Why is that so hard to understand?  Why should we not require and expect the same of people that are in OUR country.  Why do we feel sorry for those that enter our country illegally?  Why do we think we need to offer them amnesty from entering the country illegally and then provide them with citizenship? (As the coconut in the White House wants to do).  I JUST DON'T GET IT!

By no means am I telling you how to think or feel or vote.  If you support tougher immigration legislation, let your coconut and political representatives know.  If you support more lenient immigration policies, let the powers that be know that too.  This is OUR country and we have elected these people to do what we want them to.  If they don't know how we feel, they certainly can't make informed decisions.

You all know how I feel about it.  I routinely contact my legislators on any number of issues that concern me.  Do I know that they consider my opinions when they vote? No.  Do I know that I have done my part as a citizen to make my opinions known and voiced for what I believe will make our country better?  You betcha'.

For a more humorous look at immigration, you can check this post that was inspired by an email my mom sent me about a year ago.  Hope it makes you smile.