Immigration Law in AZ, What is the Problem Here?

The more I read about this issue of the Arizona law, and those who call it racial profiling, the more I scratch my head. If I take what they say about it being racial profiling, then I think we need to throw away all immigration law that pertains to anyone, because our hands are tied and we cannot question anyone ever because we might hurt their feelings and rights.

We have a mess in the US, that is a fact. Border states seem to have a pretty big problem and those of us who have no knowledge of those problems can easily sit back and point fingers and live in our ignorance and continue to not do anything effective.  Most US citizens have zero knowledge of the drug problems that are in Mexico and the crime and other economic issues that are driving people into the US.

I think the federal government needs to have clear laws and they need to enforce them, if not, all bets are off. As long as people are treated with respect, I have no issue with law enforcement asking for proof of citizenship. I think I can speak to this because my German grandfather was interned like the Japanese during WWII by the US because he was considered (and later cleared) of being an enemy alien. Chaos does not a strong country make. By not dealing with these issues sooner we now have illegal children who are "essentially" American. We need to come up with a way to plug the hole and to deal with what we have allowed up to this point. We are talking about human lives here.

For those of you who do not know it, there is a border town in our country that US citizens are asked to stay out of due to the problems from Mexico that have spilled over our border. If you do not think that is an issue, then let's put it in your backyard. I am no lawmaker but I know enough to know that other countries do not tolerate what we do and I know we cannot afford to stick out head in the sand much longer. We need to face what we have, deal with it, and fix the problem.

One solution seems simple. Enforce the law about people showing proof of citizenship before they can work in the US. Create a computer system that requires registration of all workers. I know I have to prove it when I change jobs and yes it was pretty annoying, but if I had to do it, so should everyone else. Heavily fine or imprison all those responsible for breaking these laws. I think this would go a long way to solving the problem.

What do you think?

Comments

[Casey Scalzi]

Personally, I think making immigration a racial issue is a great way for the politicians to avoid the real problem. That is the problem of US companies giving these people illegal jobs because they can push down the cost of labor in the US this way. We have a huge problem with unemployment because we make it so easy for American businesses to ship jobs overseas and to hire illegal workers. I grew up in a border state-NY. We never had the level of immigration problems with Canada. Not because Canadians are predominantly white, but because their wage expectations were far more in line with people working in the US. There was not the drive to risk life and limb to come illegally to get work here. And I would bet that any Canadian working in the US would have to show more proof of citizenship than a Mexican worker would have to show. Heck, I had to show proof of citizenship for every job I held because I was making enough money that there was no legal purpose to trying to hire me illegally.

If you read the Arizona law, and I have, you will read (though Rush and the Fox News team deny this) that any person can be approached if there is a question about their citizenship. What is that question? The color of their skin? An accent? The ability to speak Spanish?

There was a man featured on the news Memorial Day weekend because he spends the week before memorial day lining the town square with flags. One for each man in the town who has fallen in defense of our country. He is Hispanic and speaks with an accent. Should this man have to prove his citizenship if he visits Arizona any time a police officer decides that his citizenship is in question? Is that what he fought for? Is that what he willingly put his life in danger for?

My hope is that the Arizona law will force the hand of the federal government to honestly punish companies who employ illegals. But I really don't think that will happen. Americans would rather listen to the reactionary conservative news outlets spewing their racial hate than to really research the problem. American business drives the conservative media. American business would rather keep hiring foreign workers at rock bottom wages. They would rather our unemployment rates stay in the double digits because that reduces the bargaining power of American workers at all levels.

This law in Arizona is far more akin to the Nazis having Jews wear stars on their sleeves than it is like the internment of the Japanese. It is the unnecessary and systematic harassment of a people and the creation of an imaginary common enemy based on race.

[Lisa Scheuplein]

I still do not think it is an issue to ask people to show proof anymore than asking me to prove my age when I buy liquor. I agree with you abou the companies...and I keep saying this, follow the money trail....we have the best government (sic) that money can buy.

[Rich Shea]

Lisa, the difference about buying liquor is that you are taking a positive action. Being out in public should not be considered a positive action that requires proof.

I think the root of the problem is drug prohibition. That is the root cause of the violence in Mexico which is the biggest concern. Prohibition didn't work in the early 20th century in the US, and it works just as poorly with other drugs now.

[Lisa Scheuplein]

That is one of the big problems and layered on top are a lot more. These are a huge ugly problem. In a way I would like the America's to be a lot more friendly to each other. Not sure if that will happen in my life time.