"We've got to start moving [illegal immigrants] toward full citizens, out of the shadows," Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry proclaimed, eliciting clatter and howls throughout the crowd of 20,000 people surrounding me. Sitting on the cool evening grass of Tempe Beach Park a few weeks ago, watching a large screen at the Kerry rally, I couldn't help but note the irony.
Both candidates (discussing their versions of a guest worker program for illegal immigrants) stood on stage in a state voting on whether to spend tax money to promote racial profiling.
While the rest of the nation looks for a compromise for immigrant laborers, Arizonans build a magical proposition to wipe out all border issues. Only the so-called intentions of Proposition 200 are mere disillusionments hiding an ugly reality of racial and foreign intolerance. And sadly enough, it'll likely pass.
For some people, it appears to be a much-needed response to illegal immigration. Proposition 200 paints itself as the solution to welfare and voter fraud. And linked to it, there somehow seems to be the notion of reducing immigration.
Yet Proposition 200 does none of that. There haven't been any cases of voter fraud due to illegal immigrants reported in Arizona yet. In fact, no other state in the country requires proof of citizenship at the polls.
And welfare is already closed off to illegal immigrants. This wouldn't be something new at all. Federal law already denies welfare, grants, loans, licenses, retirement, health care, disability assisted housing, postsecondary education, food assistance and unemployment benefits to non-legal residents.
Emergency medical care cannot be denied to anyone, according to federal law. While Proposition 200 cannot change that, the fear of deportation may keep immigrants away. As a humane society, we can't let someone choose to neglect emergency needs because of fear.
While illegal immigrants lie at the heart of the issue, the average citizen is tangled in a mess of horrid ramifications. Heavy penalties for failing to report illegal immigrants to authorities compound the already-ubiquitous fear of deportation. Immigrant employers face up to four months in jail and fines of $750. Average citizens must provide the 'looking over your neighbor's backyard' surveillance at which our immigration services fail. The message screams out: "Report it, or go to jail."
And while supporters consistently claim it's not a racist initiative, it's hard to see how its effects aren't racist. By forcing an identification check for all public benefits, legal citizens will be targeted. Racial profiling as a means to narrow the amount of people checked certainly seems a natural reaction. If two people of different heritages (one being Hispanic) walk into an office, which one do you think will be carded?
Although it's quite easy for citizens to pull out their IDs in a moment's time, the effects of racial profiling go much further -- often being linked with low self-image and disrespect for authorities. For some it may mean nothing, but for others the stigma portrays every Hispanic as an illegal lawbreaker. It's a portrayal that can unconsciously undermine the confidence of an entire ethnic group.
And the money to enforce identification checks for a myriad of state services will come out of your pocket. In January, Gov. Janet Napolitano asked state agencies to estimate costs for the initiative. Twenty-seven million dollars from the state -- and consequently your tax dollars -- are at stake.
She has publicly taken a stand against the proposition, as well as others. Republican congressmen and senators such as John McCain and Jim Kolbe have voiced their opinions as well. This issue isn't a Democrat vs. Republican Party difference, nor is it an issue over the right to cross illegally.
Proposition 200 is a costly and ineffective way to combat immigration. It doesn't add anything to existing restrictions, but rather promotes racial profiling and a big-brother surveillance system of average citizens. The vagueness of the wording will create confusion in enforcement and the potential for further state restrictions.
The myth that illegal immigrants come here specifically to feed off the U.S. welfare system is absurd. It fails to recognize the low-wage and physically demanding jobs for which most immigrants search. Adding an ID check for public services and jail time for employers will not solve the issue.
Illegal immigrants will still risk their lives traveling across the border, live in the shadows of our society, shrouded by discrimination and treated inhumanely. All of this, and they'll still come to work in the fields for you, to build your homes and serve your burgers. Proposition 200 won't change that.
Our national leaders are looking for a real solution through guest worker programs and naturalization changes, not through ineffective propositions muddying the system. Perhaps Arizona should do the same.
Rosie Cisneros is a political science and journalism junior minoring in Chicano/a studies. Reach her at rosie.cisneros@asu.edu.
