Posted on 05/16/2008 9:02:25 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Since Arizona’s local law enforcement began enforcing illegal immigration laws and an employer sanctions law went into effect, illegal immigrants have been fleeing the state in large numbers. The effects have been far-ranging. Commuters are reporting fewer vehicles on the freeways, shortening their rush-hour commutes. What had become a serious transportation problem in Arizona is losing its urgency. English Learner Language (ELL) students started dropping out of school. This helped end a confrontation between the state legislature and a liberal federal judge who had ordered the state to spend more money on ELL classes.
Fewer illegal immigrants are using hospital emergency rooms, so waiting times have decreased. Although the rest of the country is in an economic slump, unemployment is going down in Arizona, from 4.5% in January to 4.1% in March. Day laborers loitering outside of Home Depot and other stores have mostly disappeared, ending months of confrontation between illegal immigrant sympathizers and protesters. Desert lands near the border are returning to their pristine condition and the wildlife is coming back. Identity theft and car thefts are decreasing. No one showed up on May 1 to march in immigrant rallies.
With illegal immigrants leaving, the state will see huge savings as fewer illegal immigrants use social welfare programs and the cost of arresting, prosecuting, incarcerating and deporting them decreases. Arizona is facing one of the worst budget deficits ever, looming as high as $2 billion in 2009, but the situation may resolve itself.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas are leading the local law enforcement efforts in Arizona against illegal immigration. Arizona is also home to State Representative Russell Pearce, who is responsible for spearheading possibly more laws against illegal immigration than any other state representative in the country. It is also home to Chris Simcox, President of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps. Other counties around the state are beginning to follow the lead of Maricopa County, signing agreements with I.C.E. to permit their law enforcement agencies to arrest illegal immigrants. Cochise County Attorney Ed Rheinheimer intends to prosecute illegal immigrants for trespassing on public lands. Mesa mayor Keno Hawker recently wrote an op-ed in the East Valley Tribune praising Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s sweeps of illegal immigrants. Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik bypassed the Pima County Supervisors when they refused to authorize him to add two Border Patrol agents to his border crime unit, and added them anyways.
Although Arizona’s Democrat Governor Janet Napolitano has vetoed most illegal immigration bills since 2002 when she entered office, Arizonans have bypassed her by sending initiatives directly to the ballot. In 2004, voters passed four illegal immigration measures with over 70% yes margins. A law targeting drophouses was signed into law earlier this month. An even stricter employer sanctions measure is currently underway to be on the ballot this fall.
Arizona’s illegal immigrants are fleeing to sanctuary cities like San Francisco and states with less enforcement and laws prohibiting illegal immigration like Nebraska, Iowa, and Maryland. Since one out of every 10 illegal immigrants is a felon, the result is felons are disproportionately moving to these places.
Granted there are benefits that immigrants bring to our country. But those benefits are outweighed by the negatives when the immigrants cross illegally. There are too many rules, laws, traditions, and practices in society that conflict with illegal immigrants trying to make a living. Arizona's experiment may end up resolving the illegal immigration problem satisfactorily for all, because once the fiscal expense of illegal immigrants is brought down, revising the laws to permit more immigrants to enter the country legally will become more attractive and realistic.
PING!
I think my state is organizing car pooling to come here. (FL)
friends in Oklahoma told me the illegals split there too, after they cracked down there.
Bravo Arizona! What about all those jobs Americans won’t do? How are they getting done?
Does anybody know if there is a way to send money to Sheriff Joe? I have read about his programs where inmates are trained to perform all kinds of community service related jobs. I also have heard that his county has debts from all kinds of law suits filed against it by the ACLU scum. I would give donations regularly to help him and Maricopa county fight against the ACLU. I’ve always loved Arizona. Now, I really want to retire there someday.
But but but, we keep being told that nothing can be done, and we need to be “realistic” and “pragmatic” and accept some form of amnesty.
You mean illegals will leave if, instead of rewarding them for breaking the law, we actually enforce the law? Aw hell, you best be joking. I’d hate to think that all our leaders have been lying to us, or that they are dumb as a box of rocks.
Same as before, teenagers for the summer jobs and if you’re really patriotic do your own damn lawn!
“Same as before, teenagers for the summer jobs and if you’re really patriotic do your own damn lawn!”
Bump that!
I no longer need my Spanish-English book when going to KFC for lunch.I also noticed the change at the Home Depot near my home.
Heck - I kill two birds with one stone.
I pay the teenager down the street to mow my lawn.
You mean like the $18.50 concrete jobs that the Illegals were doing for 8 bucks an hour? Then the construction companies who hired them still charged for 18.50 an hour on the jobs they done pocketing the 10.50 overcharge?
If those are the jobs your talking about..yup they are being done buy Legal citizens of the state and USA.
Of course there are the others, that are being filled by legal citizens of the USA.
Great news!
Our local Home Depot kicked them out of the parking lot. Now they crowd at the entrance to the parking lot. Of course, then our local PD moves them along because of loitering laws.
I doubt if Joe can accept money. Nor would he take it. He’s a tough cookie for a tough job and knows well how to do it.
His answer to those who whine about his chain gangs is..”If they dont like my jail system, then dont come here!” Pretty straight foreward no?
BTW. I understand that Sheriff Joe gives a lot of his inmates a choice. If they dont have a GED, They can opt to study and get their GED while in the jail instead of being on the chaingang. The hitch is, they MUST PASS. Boy is that ever a inhumane systen huh?
So simple, so effective.
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=26496&page=1#c1
You think they and McCain would have learned their lessons in 2006, but it looks like the open border/amnesty slaveowners at the Chamber of Commerce and the Wall Street Journal still own the Republican party.
2008 may be the Republicans last presidential campaign, like the Whigs in 1856.
There ya go!
It’s 102 degrees here today, I’m looking for a teenager myself!
The state is trying to arrange a special visa program through the federal government to fast-track green cards for immigrants.
Whether or not there are any shamnesty provisions remains to be seen.
"... it looks like the open border/amnesty slaveowners at the Chamber of Commerce and the Wall Street Journal still own the Republican party."
There you have it in a nutshell, between the two of you. Which, by the way, is exactly why the fence will never be built, the feds will never impose sanctions on illegal crossers or their employers, and why any self-defense by the states will be pre-empted at the federal level. It's a perfect political storm...paraphrasing Abbey "The Chamber loves their cheap labor; the Donks love their cheap cause … "
I’ve noticed the same thing near my Home Depot in Orange County. Don’t see that many anymore near the entrance either.
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