I'm not Hispanic so I can't really comment on how the culture views this. But I live in an overwhelmingly Hispanic city in an state with a Hispanic governor within spitting distance of the border (ok, by NM standards it's spitting distance) and I can report very mixed feelings on the issue in this community.
Make it the police department's business to enforce immigration? It is to laugh. The didn't manage to *even file a report* when someone tried to abduct my daughter in broad daylight. The police department isn't getting to the *real* crimes. Sure, illegal aliens are breaking the law. So are the guys who drive up the wrong side of I-40 while committing their sixth or seventh DWI and kill carloads of innocent families. That's who they are concentrating on at the moment, and I know if you give me my choice, I'd rather have one of those guys in jail than a couple dozen illegal aliens. As for the driver's license issue.... I am not sure what there is to think out? New Mexico still is one of the states that does not verify immigration status, and I agree with that. In a lightly populated state with few resources, we concentrate on safety and safety says the more people who are within the system, and insured, and able to be disciplined within it, the better. Those guys driving up I-40 the wrong way tend to be Americans, incidentally. This is not so say there is not an issue. Bill Richardson declared a state of emergency with respect to the sheer numbers of people crossing the border at Columbus, and afaik the feds have been remarkably reticent about providing any enforcement help. I think possibly they funded an additional state trooper along I-10. Whee. Yes, the illegal emigrants are sending massive amounts of money out of the country, but note that the legal ones do too, so what would the law change in this respect? I also fail to see why sending out of the country is so wrong when Mexicans do it, but quite ok when it's Boeing.... So yes, there are other sides to all these issues, which the sponsors of these laws are not considering. Dana >Well, I'm hispanic (or at least half). I think you all know where I stand >on the issue. I think that many of them truly believe that it's ok to come >here illegally with the "intention" of becoming legal later on. As for >defense, there is none... Legally at least. They rely on indifference and >massive volume to work in their favor. Many police departments here in >Phoenix still just let them go without involving Immigration. They just >don't have the man power to deal with the sheer numbers of them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:201574 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
