Many of us who were fortunate enough to escape from the snowstorms of spring break got to enjoy the sun and warm climates of Florida, Texas and Mexico. Living in Arizona for this academic year, I spent spring break on a small part of the Arizona Trail. Hiking from the Arizona-Mexico border to the first major peak of the Huachuca Mountains, I experienced breathtaking views of Cochise County and the Sonora Desert from 9,456 feet. Unfortunately, I also had to hike through trash — Coke cans, cookie wrappers and electrolyte bottles — and all of it had Spanish labels.
The trails in Southern Arizona now have a dual purpose: recreation during the day and a route for illegal entrants from Mexico to the United States at night. With the crackdown of illegal immigrants along the California-Mexico border, the Sonora Desert has become the choice illegal point of entry. The desolate landscape, the shortage of Border Patrol agents and the small population along the American side of the border make Arizona tempting for illegal Mexicans and Central Americans to cross into the United States.
The costs of illegal entrants are enormous. According to a 2004 study from the Federation for American Immigration Reform, illegal immigration costs Arizona $1.3 billion, or approximately $700 per Arizonan resident per year. Just as importantly, there are numerous deaths as a result of making the trek from Mexico through Arizona. The Arizona Department of Health Services reported that 196 illegal immigrants died from 1997 to 2002 because of heat exposure, and this number was a huge increase from the 90s due to the increase of crossings into Arizona in the same time period.
The increase of illegal entrants crossing into Arizona has led to an increase in the amount of drug trafficking across its border. The Border Patrol in fiscal year 2004 seized 446,754 pounds of marijuana crossing the border. This increase of drug trafficking has led the State Department to issue a public announcement urging Americans to be cautious in the Mexican border areas due to an increase in kidnappings and killings.
The response to illegal immigration has varied widely in the United States and Arizona. Some groups, especially church groups, put out barrels of water in high-traffic areas. Other groups, such as one in Hereford near where I was hiking, are forming militias to patrol the border. The citizens of Arizona in November passed Proposition 200, which limits public services to illegal entrants.
Outside of Arizona, the debate on a national level is just as heated. The U.S. and Mexican governments in September 2001 launched the Partnership for Prosperity, which aims to increase public and private investment in Mexico to provide more incentives for Mexicans to stay in Mexico. Since then, however, immigration talks have been stalled due to Sept. 11, 2001, and Mexican opposition to Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Mexican government has accused the United States of delaying legislation vital to immigration reform. The American government has accused the Mexican government of promoting illegal immigration; for example, in January 2005, the Mexican government published the “Guides for Mexican Migrants,” which mentions in one small section how to avoid U.S. Border Patrol agents.
The center of the issue is immigration reform. On the one hand, illegal immigration is just that — illegal — and leads to problems such as drug trafficking, smugglers abusing illegal immigrants, deaths and huge economic costs. On the other hand, illegal migrants are people and do not deserve to die.
We must push the United States and Mexico to work on the issue of immigration and find a solution. Illegal entrants are going to greater lengths to cross the border. The Arizona Trail is a difficult trail and even I was struggling to make it. I could only imagine the difficulties of someone not trained in hiking. The deaths and environmental damage due to illegal immigration are only increasing along with the problems that accompany it. Drug trafficking is making towns like Nogales unsafe to students on spring break, and the militia groups forming in Arizona may accidentally harm or kill a Border Patrol agent. These problems will only continue until both governments come to an agreement on how to solve the problem.
Jeff Carnes ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in linguistics.
