In the past two months that I've lived in southern Arizona, I have not had one conversation about SB 1070 with another resident of Arizona. The people in my life who are the most interested in the anti-Mexican day-labor law are those who live anywhere other than Arizona. After a conversation three days ago with New Yorker, I realized that I was hesitant to voice a strong opinion about what is happening in my backyard (the Mexican border is 40 miles south of where I eat and sleep). I wondered if I really knew enough about the complex problem to just write SB 1070 off as “that stupid anti-American-dream-for-brown-people law”. So, I did what you’re supposed to do in these situations, I Googled SB 1070. Here are a few things I found out:
Did you know the majority of Arizonans support SB 1070 but, a recent poll shows 38 percent of Arizona residents do not believe the law represents a real solution to the problem of immigration in Arizona? Yeah. The residents of this state support something that they don’t ultimately believe will solve the problem. And, 48 percent of those polled also believe that Latinos are more likely to be discriminated against than they were six months ago. So, what are they hoping to accomplish here?
Do I think that SB 1070 will result in greater racial profiling by Arizona police? Absolutely. Here’s why. It is estimated that Arizona’s illegal immigrant population grew from 330,000 in 2000 to 560,000 in 2008. They represent 8 percent of the adult population and 11 percent of Arizona’s prison population. It seems to me that law enforcements relationship with the illegal immigrant population is well established, and it’s not positive.
Do I agree with the 27 percent of Arizona residents recently polled that think enforcement of SB 1070 will largely or completely resolve the issue of illegal immigration (in Arizona)? Nope. In my view, for those people, SB 1070 is about sending a message that Arizona and the United States is off-limits to all illegal immigrants. If you want in, you have to come here legally. However, what about all the employers willing to subvert the system and give illegal immigrants jobs for their own profit? I also wonder if those who support the law will continue to support it when the prisons overflow and we have to crack down on businesses that hire illegal aliens because SB 1070 does not stop the flow from across the border. I heard on the radio this morning that there is a shortage of agricultural jobs in Mexico, which means, even more labor is expected to come across the border, SB 1070 or no SB 1070. Good times.
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