Devil's Highway is Dangerous Stretch in Arizona

Alone on the Devil’s Highway

The Devil’s Highway is the name given to a long stretch of unforgiving desert located in southern Arizona. This section of desert is ruthless for many natural reasons, but the large death count attributed to the desert not entirely environmental. The Highway is also a dangerous boarder crossing spot for those trying to illegally enter the United States. While attempting to cross this strip of land immigrants face discomfort from the elements on top of a fear being detected and apprehended by boarder control. Many Immigrants will do anything to avoid being discovered by border control. In their efforts to avoid being apprehend immigrants may run away from not only law enforcement, but also those traveling with them, including those leading them across the unfamiliar desert. These immigrants find themselves lost and alone on the Devil’s Highway. With no direction they are more susceptible to death. In his book, The Devils Highway, Luis Alberto Urrea tells the story of twenty-six men from southern Mexico that attempted to be smuggled into the United States through the Arizona desert. On their journey these men were confronted with boarder control and became separated. In the end only twelve of the men survived. This book takes a unique look at the harsh landscape those crossing the boarder face, the difficulty illegals have dealing with Coyotes (hired people-smugglers), the boarder patrol officers that try to prevent illegals from getting into the United States, and the economic effects of having illegals die within United States boarders.

America’s land boarder with Mexico is 1,989 miles long (Lindi), and roughly 368 miles of that boarder is with the state of Arizona. A fence protects a portion of ...

... middle of paper ...

... The search’s use resources, take time, and require manpower that also must be paid. In other words the United States has to put up the money for the illegal smuggling of immigrants into their borders.

Luis Alberto Urrea takes a pretty clear left political stance on the issue of boarder control basically stating that the system is going to fail. He believes that the current system places unneeded stress on all parties involved in boarder control. In the retelling of true story The Devils Highway penetrates into the lives, and addresses the issues, involved in immigration debates, pulling for empathy for those on both sides of the border.

Works cited:

Lindi, John F. Powerpoints/ Class lecture. Spring 2014. Electronic Access via. Blackboard.

Urrea, Luis Alberto. The Devils Highway. New York. Hachette Book Group. Little, Brown, and Company. 2005. Print.