By Brian Brannon ’11
THE ROUNDUP

Arguments over Arizona’s border have plagued the media in recent months.

These old arguments have gained new attention because of Arizona’s newest weapon for its porous border: Senate Bill 1070.

SB1070 cracks down on illegal activity within the state by screening businesses and employees more thoroughly, reinforcing probable cause probes and drawing federal attention to the war on the border.

The new screening processes, for businesses and employees state-wide, searches for and punishes the employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants and the hired illegal immigrants themselves.

By cracking down on the employment of illegal immigrants, Arizona’s job vacancies can be filled by the large number of unemployed legal immigrants and citizens – some of whom have gone through years of legal immigration proceedings in order to proudly become a U.S. citizen.

The probable cause addition gives policemen power to stop anyone they believe to be in violation of a law and detain those who cannot produce documents indicating they are legal citizens.

This law creates a deterrent for illegal immigrants as they are more likely to be suspected now than before SB1070.

This controversy sheds light on another faucet of illegal immigration: drug cartels.

The drug cartels usually operate along the same immigration routes that illegal immigrants do, transporting drugs to buyers within the United States. These drug runners have been operating so well in the past few years that they have taken control in some areas in southern Arizona, according to Pinal County Sherriff Paul Babel.

Many opponents of SB1070 claim that it violates federal laws, is unconstitutional and that police forces will abuse their power. These arguments fail because SB1070 only reinforces existing federal laws, does not violate any amendment and specifies law enforcement cannot racially profile suspects.

Lastly, federal attention to Arizona’s border provides for the opportunity to finally deal with the root of the problem once and for all.

Federal authorities can finally fix Arizona’s insecure border by reinforcing it with greater National Guard presence, structurally securing unsecured portions of Arizona-Mexico’s 370-mile border and through diplomatic enforcement of America’s national border laws with the Mexican government.

In an interview with ABC News on Aug.11 Sheriff Babel agreed that greater military forces are needed: “What is truly needed is 3,000 soldiers for Arizona alone.”

We are a sovereign nation, and as such, should start acting like it by not just protecting our borders, but by protecting the lives of American citizens in any way possible.

Related Links:

News:

SB1070 creates fear, tension in community – http://wp.me/pIfpv-Aa

Four months into law, debate over SB1070 legality lingers – http://wp.me/pIfpv-A6

Reports, claims vary on SB1070’s economic impact – http://wp.me/pIfpv-zV

Opinions:

Staff Editorial: Immigration bill fails to solve issue – http://wp.me/pIfpv-zI

SB1070 promotes bigoted rhetoric – http://wp.me/pIfpv-zz