Should Arizona Keep Trying to Vote Sheriff Joe Arpaio Out of Office - Research Paper Example

Other (s) Immigration problems in Arizona Introduction Arizona is part of thegreater Phoenix metropolis in Pinal County. With thousands of illegal immigrants that continue to stream in the city, Arizona is currently in a state of turmoil. The problem of immigration in Arizona has been ongoing for several decades. As a result most of the politicians who have shown willingness to get illegal immigrants out of Arizona such as Sheriff Joe Arpaio have received a wave of public support from the natives and condemnation by the immigrant population. Throughout the years, the policy debates regarding immigration problems in Arizona City have primarily focused on both the socio-cultural and economic impacts of illegal immigrants in the region (Bowe, 42). Economic arguments have sometimes been in favor of the immigrants such as the fact that they are a cheap labor source for the industries in Arizona City. On the other hand, the social impact arguments have mostly been negative particularly because the immigrants are often seen to be undermining national identity, taking up resources and jobs from the local city residents as well as causing other related problems such as congestion. Although some analysts argue that immigration workers are providing the much needed labor for the booming construction industry in Arizona, it is undeniable that they have also imposed both social and economic costs on the Arizona residents. The costs incurred by the health care systems in the entire Pinal County have significantly risen over the past few years and this is largely attributed to the rapidly rising immigrant population (Okie, 527). Another social that is related to the rising number of immigrants is the currently high level of drug trafficking in the City and its environs. Many researchers however believe most of the illegal Mexican immigrants are smuggling illegal drugs such as Marijuana across the Mexican border and this as also resulted in high levels of violence and crimes in the city. The high number of illegal immigrants has also resulted into an increased crime rate in the City of Arizona. This is particularly evidenced by the fact most of the state and federal prisons in the city have doubled up their spending in a bid to accommodate the rising number of criminals who are mostly illegal immigrants. Additionally the cultural conflict between the immigrants and the locals is now evident in several parts of Arizona. The ethnic tension between the Mostly Hispanic immigrants and the locals is growing. Most locals regard the immigrants as “illegal aliens” and believe their presence is eroding the American culture. This paper comprehensively analyzes the immigration problem in Arizona City as well as the possible measures that be put in place to mitigate some of the problems. Reasons for the rising number of immigrants in Arizona City In the contemporary America, the issue of illegal immigration is not only a problem in Arizona but also for the entire country. One of the major reasons for the rise in the number of illegal immigrants in our cities is that most people believe that our country is a land of opportunities and are consequently moving in by all means in such of quality lifestyles. With regard to the high number of immigrants in Arizona City, many immigrants have been known to originate from Mexico across the Mexican Arizona border. One of the reasons for the upsurge of the Mexican immigrants is likely to be the high levels of political and economic unrest in Mexico. Some of the illegal immigrants have moved to Arizona city secure better lives and good education for their families and children. This is largely because they consider United States to be technologically advanced and culturally liberal to enable them pursue their dreams. Mexico is a highly populated country with low economic growth. Many studies indicate that when the population of a particular area grow and surpass its carrying capacity, many of the affected people often choose to migrate to the other regions they perceive to be better. This explains the rising number of Mexican immigrants over the last few years. Another prominent social problem that may be driving its citizens across the border in to Arizona is the drug wars that claim nearly 80,000 persons each year. On the other hand, the US has a powerful economy offering attractive jobs as well as a safe social environment. Although Mexico can not be considered a third world country, it has not developed its economy to meet the rising demands of its growing population and most of the country’s citizens are still living below the poverty line. Additionally there are a group of illegal immigrants who simply come to the United States in search of their long lost fiends, relatives and loved ones. All these factors have attracted a huge number of Mexican immigrants in to the US cities near the border and this has consequently resulted to the problems we are currently facing in places like Arizona City. According to Douglas (13), the lack of stringent immigration laws is to blame for the current high number of illegal immigrants in the US cities such as Arizona. For example many of these immigrants are not likely to be deported even if they are discovered. Some of the illegal immigrants have been released into the society even after serving jail terms for participating in violence and drug related crimes. Most of the anti illegal immigrant groups also concur that by allowing illegal immigrants to freely attend our schools, get American jobs as well as enjoy various taxpayer programs, our systems are encouraging the problem of illegal immigration to continue. The effects of the high number of illegal immigrants in Arizona City The current high population of illegal immigrants in Arizona City has resulted in a number of problems both to the illegal immigrants as well as to the native Arizona residents. Some of the key areas that have been affected include the education, healthcare systems. As the numbers of the illegal immigrants continue to rise in the city, they are increasingly putting strain to the existing medical services in Arizona. Consequently the costs incurred by the health care systems in the entire Pinal County have significantly risen over the past few years and this is largely attributed to the rapidly rising immigrant population. The issue of immigration in Arizona City has always sparked strong debate both among the residents and the politicians. Generally despite the fact that some supporters of immigration argue that immigration workers are providing the much needed labor for the booming construction industry in Arizona, it is undeniable that they have also imposed both social and economic costs on the Arizona City residents. Some analysts however concur that the potential benefits that are gained from the immigrants are only helpful to a certain group of people and are not evenly distributed to all the stakeholders (Herbst, 10). Some of the groups that have been widely believed to have significantly benefited from the rising number of immigrant population in Arizona City include various industry employers who have been hiring and taking advantage of the cheap labor from the illegal immigrants. In this regard the sectors that can be said to have benefited most from the labor provided by the immigrants include agriculture, construction industry, tourism and hospitality. For example most of the current farms and ranches around the entire Arizona State are highly labor intensive and therefore in order to make profits as well as subsidize the rising costs of land, they significantly require the cheap labor that is currently being provided by the illegal immigrants. Consequently without the immigrants, most of these ranches and farms will be grounded. On the other hand, most of the people that are currently doing the menial jobs in the tourist hotels and restaurants in Arizona are illegal immigrants. Employers in the hospitality industry are particularly attracted to the immigrant labor because of the huge profits that they make out of their cheap labor. Finally according to Wata (3), the rise in the population of the immigrants is providing a good market for most the businesses in the region. With regard to the costs, the high number of illegal immigrants has also resulted into an increased crime rate in the City of Arizona. For example the rise in the crime rates In Arizona City has also been largely attributed to the current high population of illegal immigrants some of which are jobless. Some of the illegal Mexican immigrants have also been involved in the smuggling and trafficking of illegal drugs such as Marijuana across the Mexican border. This as also resulted in high levels of criminal activities in Arizona City. This is particularly evidenced by the fact most of the state and federal prisons in the city have doubled up their spending in a bid to accommodate the rising number of criminals who are mostly illegal immigrants. Throughout the history of the United States, the assimilation of immigrants has been one of the reasons for its success. The capacity to absorb the high numbers of the Hispanic immigrants particularly along the Mexican border has been significantly overwhelmed. The huge influx has not only overwhelmed the country’s systems but has also created cultural tension between the immigrants and the native US citizens. According to Bowe (23), most of the immigrants in Arizona are poor with little education and this has only meant that they take low paying jobs in factories and industries. The problem is however the fact that most of the industries in Arizona have shifted towards the use of modern technology which requires highly skilled and educated labor. Consequently most of the Mexican immigrants in Arizona City have been witnessing diminishing wages and as a result some of them have resorted to drug smuggling and other criminal activities as a source of their livelihood. With regard to both the long term and short term social and economic consequences of increased immigration activities in Arizona, the costs of the illegal households in the City are evidently on the rise. Some of the burdens that the immigrants have placed on the society include uninsured healthcare services, increased federal aid to the schools as well as the rising cases of congestion in the federal prisons. As a result a cultural conflict between the immigrants and the locals is now evident in several parts of Arizona. The ethnic tension between the Mostly Hispanic immigrants and the locals is growing. Most locals believe that the immigrants are taking away their jobs and eroding their culture. A part from high economic costs that the immigrants have placed on the social services of Arizona City; there is also a growing problem of Social stratification. This is because the immigrants have increased competition for the jobs particularly among the youths of African American descent and this has in turn resulted into a rising number of people leaving below the poverty line thereby causing residential segregation in several parts of Arizona City. The other important socio-economic facet that has been adversely affected by the high number of immigrants in Arizona City is the security. This is particularly with regard to the fact that most of the Mexican immigrants who have been unable to get jobs in the City have turned into criminal activities such as drug trafficking, human smuggling, violent gangs, identity thefts and violent robbery. According to Preston (8), the impact of the increased number of immigrants on the economy has been both negative and positive. With regard to some of the positive effects of the immigrants on the local economy of Arizona City, immigrants have accounted for nearly a half of the labor force of several industries within Arizona. Supporters of immigrants argue that by providing the needed labor force, the immigrants have significantly contributed to the economic output of the region. Although there are also some people, who argue that the immigrants are pumping a lot of money to the state and federal governments in terms of taxes, the debate regarding whether the benefits they receive in healthcare and education are less or more than the taxes they pay is still ongoing. On the other hand, some of the negative impacts of the immigrant population on the local economy include the strain on state and federal resources as well as fewer taxes since most of the immigrant have lower earnings. This is particularly with regard to the fact that immigrant households are on average using more welfare programs that the native households (Regan, 53). In this regard, critics have always maintained that the taxpayer shave been forced to cover the costs of providing a number of social services to the poor immigrant households. The economic burden is further compounded by the fact that the Mexican immigrants often have large families. Additionally the government is increasingly being forced to cover the costs associated with educating the non English speaking immigrant children. These include the development of English language programs, provision of lunches in schools as well as the public assistance to the children. Generally the immigrants are often seen to be undermining national identity, taking up resources and jobs from the local city residents as well as causing other related problems such as congestion. With regard to the low class communities living in Arizona, the effects of immigration have been numerous and diverse. For example the members of the minority social groups who have mostly depended on unskilled jobs such as construction, cleaning and food service have been significantly affected by the rising number of immigrants. This is because such kinds of jobs have attracted a huge number of immigrants who are sometimes ready to perform the jobs at lower rates. Unemployment is another related factor that is closely related to the immigration problems (Rob Paral, 21). For example with the increased supply of labor from the Mexican immigrants, the jobs that were traditionally taken by the low class members have now gone to the immigrants. Immigration is therefore a major cause of unemployment in Arizona as well as the other cities along the US Mexican border. Many researchers have also hinted that immigration is compounding to the already existing problem of racial segregation in the American society. For example with regard to the strong cultural identification that most of the immigrants have, they have remained segregated in the American society for several decades and the problem is likely to continue into the future for quite sometime. Currently the Latino and black students in Arizona are attending poorly equipped schools as compared to the schools attended by their white counterparts. The prospect of reversing this trend is however complicated by the rising number of impoverished illegal immigrants into Arizona. On the other hand, the immigrants living in Arizona have also been affected by their rising numbers. For example their earnings have been steadily reducing in the recent years (Kim Bobo et al, 27). It is therefore evident that the future immigrants will be faced with the challenge of low earnings which may lead them into criminal activities in their search of alternative sources of livelihood. Many authors concur that immigration is largely responsible for the rising poverty levels in Arizona City. This is also resulted in increased social segregation and inequalities. The economic situation of most Immigrants is not likely to change in the next few years. Apart from the direct impact of immigration to the social structures and the economy of Arizona, there are a number of other aspects of the American society that have always been affected. For example enrollments in public schools, increased crime rates and other related aspects. High levels of enrollment have particularly been observed among the immigrants and this only mean more federal funds being spent. An increase in the crime rates is another social problem that has always been associated with the illegal immigrants. Some of the immigrant criminal activities are often related to the use of drugs. There are also a number of organized crime networks that are related to the immigrants living in the City of Arizona. Currently most of Arizona jails are filled with the Mexican immigrants and some of them have been convicted of violence, robbery, felony, kidnapping, fraud and other forms of criminal activities. Many of the Mexican drug cartels are now established in Arizona and these groups are also dealing in money laundering, identity theft and drug trafficking. Consequently the number of Mexican immigrants in the American jails has significantly increased over the last few decades. Most of the anti illegal immigrant groups also concur that by allowing illegal immigrants to freely attend our schools, get American jobs as well as enjoy various taxpayer programs, our systems are encouraging the problem of illegal immigration to continue. Possible solutions to the problems of Immigration in Arizona City Generally many researchers agree on a number of suggestions that can be effectively employed to mitigate some of the problems associated with the immigrant population in Arizona City. For example the federal government can impose heavy penalties on companies and employers who still continue to hire the services of illegal immigrants. Alternatively these employers can be compelled to help subsidize the living costs of the immigrant workers in terms of their healthcare and educational needs. With regard to the fact that most of the Mexican immigrants in Arizona do not posses quality education, the authorities can place restrictions on the number of legal immigrants accepted into the US using educational achievement as criterion (Salita,3). This can significantly help reduce the high levels of financial burden that the high population of immigrants is placing on the residents of Arizona. It is also undeniable that the lack of stringent immigration laws is to blame for the current high number of illegal immigrants in the US cities such as Arizona. In this regard, the authorities should work together to reduce the various forms of incentives that serve to entice the illegal immigrants into United States for example the free healthcare and education. Finally the federal agencies should develop ways of ensuring that the Mexican immigrants are equipped with the necessary skills to enable them return to their country and lead better lives. Conclusion In conclusion, the immigration problems in the City of Arizona have been ongoing for several decades and although supporters of immigration argue that immigration workers are providing the much needed labor for the booming construction industry in Arizona, it is now evident that the rising immigrant population has imposed higher social and economic costs on the Arizona residents. Works Cited Bowe, John. Nobodies: Modern American Slave Labor and the Dark Side of the Global Economy. New York: Random House, 2007.Print. Douglas, S., Massey. “Backfire at the Border: Why Enforcement Without Legalization Cannot Stop Illegal Immigration”. Center for Trade Policy Studies, 13(2005): 7-16. Print. Herbst, Moira. “Immigration Rules: An Economic Disaster?” Business Week Online, 15 (2007):10. Web, 17, April, 2012. Kim Bobo et al. “For Your Were Once a Stranger: Immigration in the U.S. Through the Lens of Faith,” Interfaith Worker Justice, 2007. Web, 10, April, 2012. Okie. Susan. “Immigrants and Health Care: At the Intersection of Two Broken Systems.” Journal of Medicine.Volume 357(2007):525-529. Print. Regan, Margaret. The Death of Josseline: Immigration Stories from the Arizona Borderlands. Boston: Beacon Press, 2010.Print. Rob Paral, Rob. “The Unemployment and Immigration Disconnect: Untying the Knot,” Immigration Policy Center, 6 (2009): 18-25.Print. Salita, Mitra. “Reaching for Legitimacy in the Immigrant Economy.”The Washington Post 10 Sept. 2006. Web. 10, April, 2012. Preston, Meredith. “Economy Factors into Immigration debate.” American City and County, (June 2006):8-10.Print. Wata, Edward. “Immigrants Courted as Good Customers.” USA Today, 11 (2006): 3-4. Web, 17, April, 2012. Read More