Arizona's Immigration War Zone Summary

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Illegal: Life and Death in Arizona’s Immigration War Zone, by Terry Greene Sterling, portrays the real life hostile and highly debated immigration war waging in Arizona. This state is a major gateway for immigrants to enter into the United States (U.S.). In 2008, the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in Arizona peaked at 560,000 (González, 2012). In each chapter of the book, the author sheds light on the everyday struggles faced by undocumented immigrants living in Arizona. With each story, the reader learns how thousands of immigrants persevere despite the barriers and tribulations they face. In this paper, I will address the social problems, social welfare policy issues, and social values highlighted in the book. In addition, …show more content…

Some Immigrants look for assistance with crossing the boarder. A coyote, also known as a human smuggler, is hired to lead immigrants across the desert into the U.S. The coyotes provide a service that has turned into a very dangerous, corrupt, and lucrative business. Immigrants and their families pay the coyote upwards of $2,000 per person to guide them across the boarder (Sterling, 2010). Often times, after entering Arizona, the coyote will hold the immigrants hostage and demand additional money from their families (Sterling). Chapter two, titled “Coyote Tales” discusses the Arizona human-smuggling law enacted to punish coyotes that assist in transporting illegal immigrants across the boarder for profit. However, Andrew Thomas, who was previously Attorney of Maricopa County, had a unique interpretation of the law. He charged smuggled immigrants, instead of the coyotes themselves, with conspiring to smuggle oneself into Arizona (Sterling). This is not only a dangerous social problem, but also an abuse of power by a public …show more content…

In the year 2050, the Hispanic population is predicted to occupy 29% compared to the expected Caucasian population of 47% (Passel & Cohn, 2008). Therefore, Latino and immigration social problems will only continue to grow. As the Hispanic population grows and the Caucasian population shrinks, the demand for ethical and fair immigration policies will be fundamental. A future shift in social welfare policy regarding immigration has the potential to affect areas including: economics, education, health care, and social services. The future of social work practice will also drastically change as the U.S. population demographics shift. Social workers should prepare for bi-lingual and multicultural services. The shift may cause the prevalence of certain services to fluctuate based on the dominant cultures’ needs. In addition, social workers should gain education in the immigration process as well as the barriers facing immigrants during their assimilation in the

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