Thread: Arizona Seizes Spotlight In U.S. Immigration Debate

BORDER DISPUTE
Arizona Seizes Spotlight In U.S. Immigration Debate

State’s Aggressive Stance Is Spurred by Newcomers; ‘We’re Being Overrun’

MIRIAM JORDAN

PHOENIX — Arizona is at the heart of what many say is the biggest, angriest storm over immigration to hit the U.S. in nearly a century.

Efforts to combat illegal immigration from Mexico and Latin America are popping up across the state, fueled in part by an influx of immigrants of another sort: Americans from the North and East.

The collision of these two groups has helped turn Arizona into a laboratory for new ways to crack down on illegal immigrants. Employers here can lose their licenses if they hire undocumented workers. English is now the state’s official language. And the latest idea being floated in the state legislature would bar U.S. citizenship to babies born to illegal immigrants.

Immigration has become one of the most hotly contested issues heading into Tuesday’s presidential primaries. Arizona Sen. John McCain was an architect of the defeated U.S. Senate bill last year that included a guest-worker program and a pathway to legal status for illegal immigrants. He is now the Republican party’s front-runner, but the issue has hurt his standing among some voters. Among the remaining Democrats, both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton support comprehensive immigration reform.



Tensions are palpable in greater Phoenix, home to two-thirds of the state’s population. Joe Arpaio, the Maricopa County headline-grabbing sheriff whose jurisdiction includes Phoenix, recently unveiled a hotline for citizens to report suspected illegal immigrants. The hotline is advertised on the side of the sheriff’s vehicles with a big red “Do Not Enterâ€

It is the future Hispanic face of the state that has propelled many anti-immigrant forces into action. At Lela Alston Elementary School, which opened six years ago, 95% of the 380 students are Hispanic and 78% come from homes where English isn’t the dominant language. Virtually all the children are entitled to free meals because their families live at or below the poverty line.

The bolded, red sentence is the MAIN reason why Americans are angry with illegal aliens. Most are living at or below the poverty line and TAKING from taxpayers.

If illegals in the US were self-supporting and contributed to society, instead of taking from it, we wouldn't be having this debate.

It's economics, not racism.

Originally Posted by miguelina

It is the future Hispanic face of the state that has propelled many anti-immigrant forces into action. At Lela Alston Elementary School, which opened six years ago, 95% of the 380 students are Hispanic and 78% come from homes where English isn’t the dominant language. Virtually all the children are entitled to free meals because their families live at or below the poverty line.

The bolded, red sentence is the MAIN reason why Americans are angry with illegal aliens. Most are living at or below the poverty line and TAKING from taxpayers.

If illegals in the US were self-supporting and contributed to society, instead of taking from it, we wouldn't be having this debate.

It's economics, not racism.

Then there are those working off the books and claiming poverty. So while the driveing their BMW"S their kids can get free lunch.

If they are going to cost us money---as they are, I would rather they stay home and we send them aid in the form of food and money as we do to many other countries. This will cost us a lot less than supporting them here.

We’re a border state that has always had Mexicans,â€