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President Bush is sending 6,000 National Guardsmen to the US-Mexico Border, as America struggles with the question of immigration enforcement and reform. There are 12 million illegal aliens in the United States as of March 2006. Eighty-five percent of all illegal aliens are from Mexico. Illegal aliens who commit criminal offenses are costing the American taxpayer billions of dollars a year. Illegal aliens are 50% more likely to take advantage of public benefits at a high cost to American taxpayers. The high cost of providing specialized education to the children of illegal aliens has become prohibitive for the taxpayer. And some facts remain constant: illegal aliens, who are often referred to by proponents of illegal immigration as law abiding, and hard working once they get here, are not law abiding or hard working once they arrive in the United States; no matter how the immigration laws are reformed, illegal aliens will continue to cross our borders because they are not the law abiding sort in the first place. The numerous amendments to the U.S. Immigration law since 1965 have proven this fact.
INTERVIEWS On one of the first hot days in May 2006 in Chandler, Arizona they stand on the street corner, in the parking lots, and often in the streets. A police car parked across the street seems to not notice, or doesnt care about what is going on around him as he reads his newspaper, and takes sips from his water bottle. Illegal aliens, wetbacks, mojados, day laborers, or undocumented aliens. Whatever one may call them at any time they are criminals, one and all. They have crossed the U.S. border illegally, they are now seeking employment in the U.S. illegally. They are blatantly breaking our laws, they are criminal aliens, and not just illegal aliens. Violating the very principles of our immigration laws while a Chandler Policeman sworn to support and defend the United States Constitution, and law casually sits in his car, and does nothing. Its business as usual in Chandler, Arizona. Francisco Rivera Francisco is 26. He entered the U.S. illegally for the 20th time on April 15, 2006. The last of the 19 times that he was deported the U.S. gave him a free airplane trip to Mexico City. That was on January 3, 2006.
Its nothing. They keep sending me back, and I always return. I dont care what U.S. law says, I am Mexican and am protected by Mexican law. Besides they dont put you in jail if they catch you, they just send you back for a little while. Francisco has lived in California, Texas, Nevada, Virginia, and now Arizona. He has been arrested eight times. In 2003, in Tucson, rape charges were dropped against him when his victim, who was also an illegal alien, returned to Mexico, and was not available to testify.
Americans need to understand that in Mexico it is o.k. to take sex when a woman dresses or acts like she wants it. Francisco says that he is currently having sex with a 12 year old girl, and a 14 year old girl. Age does not matter, as long as the desire is there Francisco said. Francisco runs to catch a National Van Lines truck that has stopped to pick-up some day laborers, as that Chandler Policeman watches with apathy. Francisco drives off for a day of work.
Manolo Rivas Ochoa Manolo is 37 years old, and he has five children, and a wife. They all live in Chandler. Manolos 13 and 16 year old daughters are pregnant. Manolo says that because the father of the babies are American citizens his daughters collect $1,600 in welfare, and food stamps. Manolo made his fifth trip across the U.S. border in March 2005. He keeps coming back because his wife, and children are here. His wife, and five children are also illegal aliens. Manolo does not pay taxes, he claims that he pays enough when he buys something from a store. He opposes paying taxes because he is not an American citizen. Manolo has been arrested three times. The last time was in 2001 when he grabbed a womans breast in a Mesa bar. He was placed on probation for that offense, but never reported to his probation officer. Manolo says he just changed his name, and began to use his legal Mexican name. Manolo said I cant be held under U.S. law because I am a Mexican citizen. He said that he is not afraid of Immigration, because they cant put me in jail, they can only send me back to Mexico. Manolo ends our interview by saying that God made the USA, and nobody can say that I cant come here. Manolo walks off casually into the crowd of day laborers, as the apathetic Chandler Policeman begins to scrutinize me closely. Cecilia Lopez Cecilia Lopez, is 27. She walks out of the convenience store to get into her 2005 Cadillac Escalade. Cecilia came to the U.S. the first time in 2005 from Nogales, Mexico. She came here after being diagnosed as HIV positive in 2004. She said it was impossible for her to make a living in Mexico with all of the laws against prostitution, and selling drugs. Cecilia came to the U.S. with her brother, Luis, who is 35. Together they sell chiva (Heroin) from the Hacienda Del Sol apartments in Chandler. Cecelia is also a prostitute. Cecilia is not worried about spreading AIDS because she uses a condom. She has sex about 5-10 times a night, and makes between $250 and $800 in cash, a night. Cecelia and her brother Luis make another $1,500 to $2,000 a week selling heroin from their apartment in Chandler.
Why should I become an American? I am already here. I am a Mexican, and America cant give me anything. Cecilia was arrested in September 2005 for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, driving without a license, and not having insurance. She failed to appear in court on those charges, and changed her name. As Cecilia drives off that apathetic policeman is now joined by another policeman on a motorcycle. They both talk, as they take drinks from their water bottles, and both begin to look at me as I move through the crowd of illegal aliens who are looking for work. Alicia Mendez I spot an attractive Hispanic lady walking down the street wearing a blue vest from Wal-Mart. She stops to talk with me, and after awhile she reluctantly admits to being an illegal alien. Another Chandler Police Car arrives across the street, and posts up, and with the other two policemen begins to watch me. Alicia is 35, and single. She came to the U.S. in 2003. Alicia works for Wal-Mart Supercenters, despite not having a green card or real social security card.
Its not hard to find work. Its easy to get an I.D., and Wal-Mart doesnt check to see if the I.D. is real, or stolen from someone else. Alicia came to Chandler from Nogales, Mexico because she says everybody in Nogales says that the Chandler Police dont arrest illegals. As I walk back to my car I am eyed suspiciously by the three Chandler Policemen. My next stop was at a McDonalds restaurant to talk with Donna (not her real name). Donna is a McDonalds manager. She is 28, and has lived in the U.S. for 2 years. She was hired by McDonalds in October 2005. Donna said that a guy (Ricky), who works with her in the same McDonalds restaurant was able to get her an Arizona I.D. card, and a legitimate social security number that belongs to someone else, with a fake social security card. Donna doesnt want to become a United States citizen. She said Why? Im already here. If they catch me they just send me back. Donna has plans to bring her elderly parents here next month. She said that her parents are in poor health, and they can get free medical help here. Its not like Mexico. In the U.S. you just take them to the hospital, and they cant refuse to give them a doctor. Donna said that her McDonalds store is owned by the corporation, and is not a franchise. She also said that McDonalds pays her less than the American manager that works at the store. American companies are greedy. They dont care that Im not a U.S. citizen as long as I work cheap.
AMERCIAN EMPLOYERS Cheap labor seems to be a common incentive among American business, both large and small alike. In support of amnesty, and guest worker programs American business is often quoted as saying that they use illegal aliens to perform jobs Americans dont want to do. The least common denominator in the majority of these cases is the manipulation of the illegal aliens, and the payment of substandard wages and benefits that contribute directly to a businesses bottom line. Its not that Americans dont want to do these jobs, the real issue is that Americans wont do the jobs for illegal wages, no workers compensation, and in often dangerous and unhealthy environments. On April 19, 2006 federal agents arrested seven executives, and hundreds of employees of the IFCO pallet company in at least eight states, after conducting a yearlong criminal investigation into alleged hiring practices of illegal aliens. Seven current, and former IFCO managers were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on charges they conspired to transport, harbor and encourage illegal workers to reside in the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain, said Glenn T. Suddaby, the chief federal prosecutor in Albany, N.Y., where some arrests were made. "ICE has no tolerance for corporate officers who harbor illegal aliens for their work force. Today's nationwide enforcement actions show how we will use all our investigative tools to bring these individuals to justice, no matter how large or small their company," said ICE chief Julie Myers. The previous week, operators of three restaurants in Baltimore pleaded guilty to similar immigration charges, while nine people affiliated with two temporary employment agencies that do business in New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania were charged in a $5.3 million scheme involving the employment and harboring of illegal aliens. In 2005, Wal-Mart stores agreed to pay $11 million to settle allegations concerning the employment and mistreatment of illegal immigrants. Wal-Mart has maintained that top executives did not know that cleaning contractors were hiring illegal immigrants, who sometimes slept in the backs of stores. An ICE affidavit unsealed as part of that case, however, asserted that two executives were aware of the practice. Employers are often aware of their illegal practices, but they justify these practices by the need to achieve greater profits, and at the same time offer their products or services at the lowest possible price to a price driven economy. Wal-Marts famous tag line is Always low prices. Always. ICE enforcement appears to have targeted medium to large business, but there is an entire subculture of small, and independent business people that depend on cheap labor to keep running their business, at a greater profit margin. I spoke with some of these small business people at a local Home Depot store. Henry is a licensed painting contractor, who has used illegal alien day laborers from Chandler, Arizona since 1995. He works six days a week, and said that when he picks up Americans they expect to be paid about $60 a day, plus he has to pay employer taxes, social security, and workers compensation. Henry also said my Mexicans work all day long without a break, and I pay them between $25 and $35. I dont have to pay employer taxes, social security, or workers compensation. Henry said that he had a close call last summer when one of the day laborers fell from a ladder, and seriously hurt himself. He was spitting up blood, and we just drove him to a local hospital, and dropped him off. I didnt have to worry about expensive workers compensation claims, and making a job for him until he recovered. Gary, a construction foreman for a large well known homebuilder in Arizona said that his crew of illegals does work that Americans wont do for the same wages. He pays his skilled day laborers $30 a day, for a ten hour day, with a thirty-minute lunch break. American workers would want at least minimum wage, an eight hour workday, and an hour lunch break. Henry, and Gary both say that the United States needs an amnesty program. Henry said an amnesty program would take away the incentive to cross the border illegally. Gary said these are hard working, and lawful people. Our immigration laws have not changed for years, and Mexicans dont cost the U.S. much money. Gary is wrong, history shows that our immigration laws have been reformed several times. In 1965 President Lyndon Johnson signed the Immigration and Naturalization Services Act of 1965 (also known as the Hart-Celler Act or the INS Act of 1965) that abolished the national-origin quotas that had been in place in the United States since the Immigration Act of 1924. It was proposed by Emanuel Celler and heavily supported by Senator Ted Kennedy partly in response to the Civil Rights Movement. In 1986 the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) became law to control and deter illegal immigration by providing amnesty and temporary status to all illegal aliens who had lived in the United States continuously since before January 1, 1982; extended a separate, more lenient amnesty to farmworkers; imposed sanctions on employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens; increased inspection and enforcement at U.S. borders. In 1990 Immigration Act (IMMACT) became law, and modified and expanded the 1965 act (The Immigration and Naturalization Services Act of 1965 (also known as the Hart-Celler Act or the INS Act of 1965); it significantly increased the total level of immigration to 700,000, increasing available visas 40 percent. The act retained family reunification as the major entry path, while more than doubling employment-related immigration. The law also provided for the admission of immigrants from "underrepresented" countries to increase the diversity of the immigrant flow. Despite efforts to reform immigration, and make it easier to comply with liberal immigration laws, the population of illegal immigrants from Mexico has swelled. An April 26, 2006 Fact Sheet from the Pew Hispanic Center, a non-partisan research organization based in Washington, D,C, said illegal aliens in the United States as of March 2006 are estimated to be between 11.5 million and 12 million. THE COST OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION Proponents of illegal immigration, amnesty, and guest worker programs seem to think that if the U.S. amends its immigration laws, that this will be an incentive to comply by illegal aliens. These same proponents are often quoted as saying that illegal immigrants are law abiding, and hard working once they come here. History, and statistics show a different story. As to the fallacy that illegal aliens are law abiding, an April 7, 2005 report from the Government Accountability Office to the U.S. House of Representatives shows: (1) How many illegal aliens were incarcerated in federal, and state prisons, as well as local jails; (2) The primary country of citizenship or country of birth of illegal aliens that commit crimes; and, (3) The estimated costs of incarcerating illegal aliens. The results of the report were staggering. At the federal level the number of criminal aliens incarcerated increased from about 42,000 as of December 31, 2001 to about 49,000 as of December 31, 2004 (15% increase). The percentage of all federal prisoners who are criminal aliens has remained the same from 2002 to 2005 was about 27%. The majority of criminal aliens incarcerated were from Mexico. The federal cost of incarcerating criminal aliens was about $1.2 billion in 2004. In addition the federal government paid states, and local jails $280 million dollars in 2004 to incarcerate illegal aliens. At the state level, the 50 states received reimbursement for incarcerating 77,000 criminal aliens in 2002, and 47 states received reimbursement for incarcerating 74,000 criminal aliens in 2003. For the five years ending June 30, 2003 5 states incarcerated about 80% of the criminal aliens, about 68% incarcerated in midyear 2004 reported the country of citizenship or country of birth as Mexico. 4 out of 5 of these states requested $1.6 billion as reimbursement of its costs for the incarceration of illegal aliens. At the local municipal level in 2003 the federal government reimbursed about 750 local governments for incarcerating 138,000 criminal aliens. In fiscal year 2004 700 local governments sought reimbursement for incarcerating 147,000 illegal aliens. 4 out of 5 local jails spent $390 million in 2002 and 2003. 85% of the illegal aliens were from Mexico. In a subsequent GAO Report of May 9, 2005 to the House of Representatives the GAO reported that the illegal alien population in the U.S. was arrested 459,614 times, for a total of 700,00 separate criminal offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, auto theft, property damage, and violent offenses such as murder, rape, child molestation. 80% of all of the arrests occurred in California, Texas, and Arizona. 97% of all criminal aliens were arrested more than one time. These staggering figures are a testimony to that fact that illegal aliens are not law abiding once they get to the United States. In a 2003 interview with Fox News Channel Bill OReilly, former California Governor Pete Wilson said that California had a problem related to the high cost of educating children who were acknowledged to be in the U.S. illegally. Wilson said that one-fifth of the California prison population were illegal aliens who had committed felonies after entering the United States illegally. The Center for Immigration Studies reports that The proportion of immigrant-headed households using at least one major welfare program is 24.5% compared to 16.3% for native households. This means that once illegal aliens get here they are 50% more likely to be on welfare than American citizens. Douglas S. Massey, a Princeton Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs who wrote a book in 2002, and proposes immigration reform and amnesty conducted his own survey. Massey proposes to allow 300,000 temporary guest workers into the U.S. each year. Under the Massey plan each guest worker would pay $400, which he claims is one-fifth the amount paid to the coyotes who smuggle illegal aliens. Massey claims that his proposal would give illegal aliens an incentive to play by the rules. He adds that his proposed reform would drain the swamp of human smuggling and document fraud that facilitates illegal immigration. Massey goes on to propose that illegal immigrants already in the U.S., who have brought children with them should be given temporary status, and their children should be granted expedited citizenship. Masseys survey in support of his proposals provides no actual or realistic data to support his conclusions, and does not provide a methodology for his research. However, he concludes that 62% of illegal aliens have taxes withheld from their wages, and that 66% pay social security. Massey claims that in 2004 illegal aliens contributed $7 billion to social security, and $1.5 billion to Medicare. Illegal aliens, Massey goes on to conclude, seldom use public benefits because they fear being detected. His survey found that only 10% of illegal Mexicans have sent a child to a U.S. public school, and just 5% have received food stamps or unemployment. Masseys proposals, book, survey, and conclusions are reduced to a work of fiction when compared to the professional studies, and actual government statistics. A 2004 report from Steven A. Carmota, Director of Research at the Center for Immigration Studies, a non-profit and non-partisan organization in Washington, D.C., showed the impact on illegal immigration to the U.S. economy. The CIS report concluded that households headed by illegal aliens imposed more than $26.3 billion in costs on the federal government in 2003 (the study didnt even address the costs imposed upon the states). The same illegal alien households paid only $16 billion in taxes, resulting in a net fiscal deficit of $10.4 billion, or $2,700 per illegal alien household. Among the largest costs were Medicare, or the cost of free medical care to uninsured illegal aliens (98.9% estimated uninsured) of $2.5 billion, $2.2 billion in food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and $1.6 billion for free school lunches to the children of illegal aliens, plus $1.4 billion in federal aid to schools who educate the children of illegal aliens. Two-thirds of illegal aliens lack a high school diploma. The prime reason that they create a federal deficit is low to non-existent education. The result is lower wages, and less tax payments. On the average the costs that illegal aliens impose on federal deficits are less than half that of other American households, but their tax payments are only one-fourth that of other households. Many of the costs associated with illegal aliens are due to their American born children who are given U.S. citizenship status at birth, and allow the illegal alien household to take advantage of welfare programs that they would not otherwise be eligible for. If all illegal aliens were to be given amnesty and began to pay taxes, and use services, like other households headed by legal aliens with the same educational levels, the estimated annual net fiscal deficit would increases from $2,700 per household to $7,700 per household, for a total annual cost of $29 billion. Costs increase dramatically because illegal aliens with legal status can access government benefits that they would not otherwise qualify for. Legalization of these illegal aliens would increase tax payments by 77%, but the average costs would increase by 118%. Illegal immigration is a burden on the taxpayer. The costs of illegal immigration to the taxpayer are numerous, but the largest costs are education of their children, emergency medical care and incarceration for those arrested for crimes. Despite being ineligible, some illegal aliens also get welfare the same way they get jobs: with identity documents falsely identifying them as U.S. citizens. In addition, if they have U.S.-born children, they may collect welfare assistance in the name of those children. The annual net cost of illegal immigrants (after subtracting their tax payments) to the American taxpayer is likely to be more than $45 billion. One recent study of the net fiscal Costs of illegal immigration to Californians estimated the partial costs at $10.5 billion in California alone.
ENFORCEMENT OF IMMIGRATION LAWS IN ARIZONA Most law enforcement agencies in Arizona have a written, or verbal policy against enforcing immigration laws. The agencies first object because they say that enforcement of immigration laws is a federal government responsibility that could impede law enforcements public safety role. The public safety theory behind non-enforcement of immigration laws is that illegal aliens would be more reluctant to report criminal activity, and cooperate with law enforcement if they fear being detected, and deported. This quid pro quo theory could be applied to any criminal in the U.S. For instance, if laws against drug smuggling were enforced, then drug smugglers would be less likely to report criminal activity, or cooperate with law enforcement. There are some other reasons that Arizona law enforcement organizations dont enforce immigration laws, and there are those rare few law enforcement agencies that stand up and accept the responsibility for immigration law enforcement. Chandler Arizona Chandler is "the first or second most notorious staging site for aliens in the world with well-established smuggling routes and drop houses where illegal immigrants are housed said Ron Sanders of the U.S. Boarder Patrol in Arizona. For a five-day period in July 1997 Chandler Police along with U.S. Border Patrol Agents in a joint operation known as Operation Restoration stopped about 1,000 people in Chandler to verify their citizenship. Together, Chandler Police and Boarder Patrol Agents arrested, and deported 492 illegal aliens, and two U.S. Citizens. Subsequent to Operation Restoration the City of Chandler came under attack for their enforcement efforts. Then Arizona Attorney General, Grant Woods, wrote a scathing 34 page report condemning Chandlers civil rights violations. There were hundreds of thousands of dollars in law suit payouts for civil rights violations, as well as a three volume report produced by independent investigators who investigated the actions of the Chandler Police for performing their law enforcement duties. There was very little said about the simple fact that Operation Restoration resulted in the detection, and deportation of 492 illegal aliens from Chandler. Operation Restoration was a success in that it accomplished the objective of detection, and enforcement of criminal activity. The cooperation of Chandler Police and the U.S. Border Patrol in Operation Restoration demonstrates that in order to effectively use local law enforcement there must be legislation that provides effective governmental immunity to state, and local municipalities that make efforts to enforce our immigration laws. Maricopa County Arizona Maricopa County Arizona is the fifth largest county in the United States (Chandler, Arizona is in Maricopa County), and unlike Chandler, Maricopa County has taken a proactive approach to immigration enforcement. The County is the seat of state government. Maricopa County Sheriff Joseph Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas have joined forces to combat illegal immigration in their tough stance on the issue. In Maricopa County on May 8, 2006 a small team of deputies, and a volunteer posse roams the human-trafficking routes to enforce a nine-month-old state law that makes smuggling people a felony and effectively authorizes local police forces to enforce immigration law. Sheriff Arpaio told the New York Times in an interview "I have compassion for the Mexican people, but if you come here illegally you are going to jail". Arpaio says that County Attorney Andrew Thomas has given his office a needed legal opinion on how to enforce the new law. The enforcement efforts by Maricopa County have not been well received by some in the legal, and immigration rights community, as well as the Mexican Consulates Office. In May 9 press release from Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas he accused Mexico of interfering in the internal affairs of Arizona by attempting to void Arizonas Human Smuggling statute. In an attempt to undermine Arizona law Los Angeles lawyer Peter Schey, at the request of Carlos Flores-Vizcarra, Consul General of Mexico, has filed legal motions intended to thwart the prosecution of a coyote and 48 illegal immigrant conspirators arrested by the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office on March 2, 2006. If this attempt by the Mexican Government succeeds, Thomas noted, the citizens of the State of Arizona will be deprived of their right to uphold public order and to protect themselves against the Mexican governments systematic, unlawful export of humanity into the state. The Mexican government encourages those who are unhappy with political, economic and social conditions in Mexico to flee to America to seek unlawful employment here and to send back to Mexico an estimated 16 billion dollars, Thomas said. Maricopa County Superior Court records indicate that 48 illegal immigrant conspirators have been offered the opportunity to plead guilty in return for a reduced sentence. To date four defendants, Sergio Perez-Santos, Baltazar Ramirez Solano, Roman Gomez and Omar Soto-Lopez, have pled guilty to the crime of Solicitation to Commit Human Smuggling, a class 6 Felony. Besides the felony designated, they have served 60 days in the county jail, will be placed on probation for three years, and will be deported to Mexico. Victoria Lopez, the executive director of the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project said that Maricopa County Sheriffs Office actions are really an attempt to intimidate the immigrants by threatening and imposing incarceration. Peter Schey, the lawyer retained by the Mexican Consulate, is also the executive director of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, an advocacy group. In court papers filed by Schey challenging the arrests he said that Arizonas law was invalid because it pre-empts federal authority to regulate and enforce immigration law. If this were the case then states could not enforce laws against bank robbery, and drug smuggling, because any state laws would pre-empt the federal governments regulation, and enforcement of these criminal activities. The fact is that states and the federal government have shared sovereign jurisdiction over criminal offenses for years. It is not improbable, and there are many cases where a bank robber has been tried and convicted in state court, and then tried and convicted for the same bank robbery in federal court, said Aldo Thomas, a Constitutional Law Professor at the University of Southern California School of Law. An Arizona Poll of 380 voters by Arizona State University and KAET Public Television between April 20, and April 23, 2006 showed local support for more strict border security. 57% of those polled advocated building a fence around the border.
HAVENS IN ARIZONA FOR ILLGEAL ALIENS The illegal aliens interviewed for this story all received written directions to Fairview Avenue and Arizona Avenue in Chandler, Arizona, and to Hacienda del Sol apartments in Chandler, Arizona. Cecilia, and her bother Luis, heard of the Fairview/Arizona Avenue day labor spot that is so popular among illegal aliens in Arizona, as well as Hacienda del Sol apartments before they left Mexico to cross the U.S. Boarder. They were told that Chandler police dont arrest illegals, and Hacienda del Sol apartments are friendly to illegals in the U.S.
Hacienda del Sol Hacienda del Sol is a 374 unit apartment complex of studio and one bedroom apartments. It is at the corner of Pecos Road and Arizona Avenue in Chandler, Arizona, and is just 300 feet from the largest area for illegal alien day laborers in Chandler seeking illegal employment. Cecelia and her brother Luis, both illegal aliens, no longer live at Hacienda del Sol, but they keep an apartment there so that they can sell drugs from the apartment. The illegal aliens interviewed for this story are saying that Hacienda del Sol was the first place that they lived when they came to Chandler. Illegal aliens all say that when they crossed the border illegally they had directions to Hacienda del Sol apartments. Hacienda del Sol appears to be friendly to illegal aliens. About 99% of the residents of Hacienda del Sol are of Hispanic origin. Many of the families at the apartment complex have an average of four children in their studio, and one bedroom apartments; they pay an average of $400 a month rent, and the complex is about 90% occupied. Maria moved into her apartment at Hacienda del Sol about a year ago. She said that when she moved into her studio apartment with her 4 children, husband, brother, and sister-in-law that the complex had just been purchased by a new owner, and was under new management. Maria says that the complex has been under constant remodeling since she moved in, and that the complex is very friendly to Mexicans that just get to the U.S. The new management company has converted the tennis courts at the complex to a soccer field, complete with soccer goals, lighting for nighttime play, and painted goal lines. Before Maria and her family left Mexico she learned about Hacienda del Sol from family, and neighbors in Mexico. Tony (not his real name) is a gardener, and landscaper at Hacienda del Sol. Tony says that when he came from Mexico last year, with twelve other illegal aliens, he was directed to Hacienda del Sol for an apartment. During his first visit to the managers office he was given a job, and an apartment. Tony is an illegal alien, and he does not have identification, or a social security card. Tony said it was easier that I thought. I just came and they put me to work, and gave me an apartment. Tony wants to become an American citizen. He says that he has been working hard since he was 14, and if he became an American citizen he would take a year off, and get the government to pay me money so that I can rest for a year or so. Miguel (not his real name) heard about Hacienda del Sol from his brother-in-law that has just been deported to Mexico from the U.S.. He was told that the Chandler police, as well as Hacienda del Sol were friendly to illegal aliens in the United States, and that he would be protected in Chandler, and at Hacienda[del Sol]. Miguel and his crew are maintenance workers at Hacienda del Sol. He says that he was hired by the new management company, who supplied him with a social security number. Miguel readily admits that he is an illegal alien, and says that he has never tried to hide his status. He tells me that he will most likely not become an American because he likes being a Mexican. Miguel, and his co-workers, the majority of which are also illegal aliens, were hired by the new management company to complete remodels on the apartments. He, and his crew install new bathtubs, sinks, faucets, appliances, and ceiling fans at Hacienda del Sol. I called Hacienda del Sol and spoke with the Resident Manager, Dottie Vince. Dottie informed me that I would have to come to the office and complete an application for an apartment, and pay a $45 non-refundable application fee. I would need a government issued photo I.D.., and proof of income. After my credit was checked, and before I was given a lease I would have to pay a deposit of $125 before I could move in. She informed me that it would take a couple of days to a week before my application was approved, or denied. Sonia Morellos, a Research Assistant called Hacienda del Sol and spoke with Dottie. Sonia told Dottie that she had just moved to Chandler from Mexico with her family, and that she had no job, no I.D., no credit, and she didnt even have a social security number. Dottie told Sonia to come to the office with a $35 application fee, first months rent of $394, and that she could be in an apartment that afternoon. When Sonia asked about security deposits, Dottie told her that there were no security deposits required. Renters at Hacienda del Sol pay the City of Chandler a tax on their rent. This tax equals 7.5% of the amount of rent paid. Assuming that 90% of the 374 apartments at Hacienda del Sol are occupied, and the average monthly rent per apartment is $350, total sales tax paid to the City of Chandler is $8,793.75 per month, or $105,516 per year. Perhaps this would mean that the City of Chandler would have one-hundred and five thousand reasons for not enforcing the immigration laws in Chandler, or at Hacienda del Sol? NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES "Can anybody explain to me why we shouldn't be paranoid about the southern border being porous?" asked U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., in a 2005 interview with Fox News. Tancredo has obtained records showing that since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, agents from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency have stopped 132 nationals from countries considered a national security threat, including Syria, North Korea and Iran. If those numbers are accurate, they may indicate that hundreds more from suspect nations made it across the border. "If we have another event like 9/11, or worse, and if that event is perpetrated by somebody who has come into this country illegally and if we have done no more to secure those borders than we have presently done," Tancredo said, "then the blood of everyone who's killed in that will be on our heads in the Congress and on the president of the United States." There are 12 million illegal aliens in the United States. Who are these people? Do they belong to, or support a terrorist organization? Tom Fields, a pro illegal immigration supporter said there is probably a few terrorists among illegal immigrants, but that is no reason to condemn all 12 million. A credible response is that it only took one terrorist to fly the first plane into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. THE HIGH COST OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION American politicians, and lawmakers are making many assumption s based upon a utopian theory of the law abiding citizen. The first assumption is that illegal aliens can comply with the laws put in place that govern guest workers. These illegal aliens have already demonstrated a propensity for entering the U.S. illegally, and even if they are granted guest worker status, they will most likely remain in the U.S. after their guest worker status has expired. The second false assumption is that if guest workers dont voluntarily leave the U.S. when their guest worker status expires then they will be subject to deportation. Contrast this false assumption with the fact that there are 12 million illegal aliens in the U.S. without guest worker provisions, and the U.S. has taken no action to find, and deport them. The third false assumption is that illegal aliens already here will want to take advantage of a guest worker program. The illegal aliens interviewed for this story all said that they are not interested in U.S. Citizenship, and that they would not comply or participate with guest worker programs. Illegal aliens cost the American taxpayer billions of dollars each year. Immigration laws need to be enforced, and not reformed. Our national security demands that our borders be sealed, and that we strictly control entry into the United States.
Copyright 2006 Randy L. Harrington. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may contact the author by e-mail at: RandyHarrington@gmail.com. His web site is http://www.freewebs.com/writestuffarizona.
