“Illegal is not a race, it is a crime” – Russell Pearce, Arizona state senator

    Arizona has recently introduced a tough new immigration bill. The bill is sparking controversy amongst liberal politicians and university scholars, who say that the bill is highly unconstitutional. This new law gives police officers the right to check the legality of immigrants based upon the suspicion of their appearance, in other words if they are Hispanic or not. The bill is obviously very harsh, but only to those that are in violation of the law.

    Proponents of the bill say that the new legislation will not affect law abiding citizens or immigrants here legally. All one has to do is show the proper identification that every American citizen carries in their wallet or purse, and they will be fine.

Opposition to the law stems from the convenient rallying point of racial profiling, something opponents cite against most anti-immigration laws these days. The attack comes straight from capital hill and president Obama, who will likely intervene in Arizona’s political sphere of influence if for nothing more than to make a point. He has voiced definite opposition to the bill, unsurprisingly.

    There are 250 million crossings of the border every year. Of these, almost half a million are illegal. Approximately 500 illegal migrants die every year trying to cross the border, often drowning in the Rio Grande or succumbing to exposure or heat stroke in the Sonora Desert.

    The simple fact is, your average American doesn’t give a hoot one way or the other, as they do not live in Arizona or Mexico. In fact, here in the Midwest, there are more reported illegal crossing than in New Mexico. The difference is that at the Canadian border, they make sure you aren’t carrying any blueberries, while down south they care about illicit drugs and weapons. If they do care, chances are not bad that they are up to something. They could be one of the notorious coyotes, who ferry Mexicans across the border at great expense, or they might be a drug dealer smuggling illegal wares across the border. While this isn’t to say that all in opposition of the bill are crooks and liars, it should be an eye opener, especially considering that the border patrol has it rough. Since its founding, 105 members have died in the line of duty, many of these due to drug related violence.

    It would be a shame if more border guards were to die because a few stubborn individuals were to protest the supposed human right violation. The Patrol, numbered at 20,000 strong, has only about 700 of the 2000 mile of the border considered secure. While the have plenty of manpower, there are limitations as to what they can actually do. They can watch someone clearly illegal, and yet are forbidden to act because of risks of racial profiling. This new bill would solve this problem, and empower them in very positive ways.