Arizona's Immigration War Zone Summary

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,

I will discuss the implications these social issues have on future social welfare policy and in the field of social work.
The personal stories shared in Illegal, are peppered with social problems facing the thousands of immigrants in Arizona. From a broad perspective, immigration in general is a social problem. Within immigration several social problems exist surrounding danger, politics, prejudice, and finance.
Undocumented immigrants face treacherous circumstances before they ever enter the U.S.

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

official.
Mr. Thomas was not alone in abusing his power to discriminate against and treat undocumented immigrants unfairly. Joseph Arpaio, also known as “America’s Toughest Sheriff” has remained Sheriff of Maricopa County since 1993 (“Sheriff Joseph M. Arpaio,” n.d.).
Sheriff Arpaio is known for fighting drug trafficking and immigration in Arizona. He ordered raids that he called “crime suppression operations,” between the years of 2006 and 2009 (Sterling). These raids targeted Latino communities and everyone knew it was the Sheriff’s way of arresting undocumented immigrants (Sterling). His actions showed an abuse of power and discriminatory behavior. In 2009, the raids came to an end when the governor of Arizona at the time, revoked Sheriff Arpaio’s ability to enforce his immigration raids in local neighborhoods (Sterling). The raids created enormous fear in the Latino community and caused many immigrant families to leave Arizona.
Numerous American’s take a stand against immigration, without an adequate and holistic understanding of the social problem. The media portrays that immigrants are dangerous, hurt the economy, and take American jobs. However, this is not entirely true and leads to a social problem surrounding finances.
Numerous immigrants enter into the U.S. solely to work and earn a better way of life. In chapter three, titled “Arrested”, the author told the story of two undocumented immigrants who left Mexico to earn “real money” in Arizona. In Mexico the couple earned the equivalent of $200 per week. After making the move to Arizona the couple brought in approximately $40,000 annually, which equates to over $700 per week. In order to work, the couple used false social security numbers, which meant they also paid income taxes just like American citizens. Many Americans do not understand that immigrants who work illegally in the U.S. pay into Social Security and Medicare, but never receive government benefits.
If the U.S. were to allow undocumented immigrants to work legally, it would increase the contribution to local and state taxes, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (“Undocumented Immigrants,” n.d.). In addition, if the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. gained legal status, the state and local tax contributions would increase by over two billion dollars (“Undocumented Immigrants”). Americans are told that immigrants hurt the U.S. economy. However, with policy reform the undocumented immigrants have the potential to make a positive financial impact. It is also important to note the injustice of this social problem. When illegal immigrants work in the U.S. they pay taxes, but receive no health coverage, social services, or government assistance. It is essential to create policies that will rectify the numerous social problems facing illegal immigrants, in Arizona and across the U.S.
Immigration is a major topic of debate in Arizona and government politics. I will discuss the DREAM Act, Immigration Reform, and The Legal Arizona Workers Act, as it relates to the board scope of immigration. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act was introduced on May 11, 2011 ("DREAM Act Summary,” n.d.). At every congressional session the bill goes before legislators, but it has still not passed. Under the DREAM Act, illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. before the age of 15 can apply for temporary legal status ("DREAM Act Summary”). The individual may become eligible for permanent U.S. citizenship if they attend college or serve in the U.S. military, in addition to other minor requirements ("DREAM Act Summary”). This act would boost the U.S. economy and allow illegal immigrants to transform into productive American Citizens.
In the book, the Legal Arizona Workers Act affected numerous illegal immigrants. The act is sometimes called the “Employer Sanctions Law,” and went into effect on January 1, 2008 (“Arizona Attorney General,” n.d.). This law prohibits businesses from intentionally employing an illegal immigrant. The law requires all Arizona employers to use the Department of Homeland Security’s database, to verify potential employees Social Security and green card numbers (Sterling). The law was designed to penalize the employers, but illegal immigrants also suffered drastic consequences based on this ruling. They lose their jobs and at times are charged with felonies for using fake documents (Sterling). With the implementation of this law, thousands of immigrants living and working in Arizona lost employment. This also means they stopped paying income tax. Ultimately the U.S. benefits most when immigrants work legally. Therefore, immigration must be approached from a multifaceted perspective to create an effective immigration system.
In the future, social welfare policy regarding immigration will be imperative and central.

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

U.S.
America is a large melting pot of diversity and was created through generations of immigration from all over the world. When considering the current war on immigration waging between the U.S. and Mexico, the belief that immigrants do not belong here must be cast aside. From a social viewpoint, U.S. citizens must understand the value immigrants bring to the economy and work force. Illegal immigrants simply desire the opportunity for a better life, and are willing to risk death to achieve it. Perhaps Americans’ discontent with illegal immigrants is tied to their fear of losing the privileges they have in the United States. The U.S. must let go of the fear and understand the positive impact proper immigration policies have the potential to create.
To conclude, Illegal: Life and Death in Arizona’s Immigration War Zone, by Terry Greene Sterling, highlights the social problems surrounding immigration in Arizona. Minimal effective social welfare policies regarding immigration exist, yet are desperately needed. As the percentage of Latino’s in the U.S. grows, so will the demand for effective policies. The changes in demographics will also affect the field of social work. Practitioners will need additional knowledge in the Latino culture, immigration process, and barriers faced by immigrants. As a society, it is essential to understand that no human being is an illegal alien.