Exploring The Immigration "Fault Line"

By: Ben Tracy
Topics: Field Notes

(CBS)

Ben Tracy is a CBS News correspondent based in Los Angeles.

Having spent most of my life in Minnesota, I have to admit that stories about illegal immigration and the border always seemed very far away. They were. My recent trip to Arizona for our "Immigration Nation" piece was an eye-opener. Protestors hurling insults at Mexican day-laborers and calling the people who hire them "traitors."

Arizona has become a real fault line in the debate over illegal immigration. The state has adopted one of the toughest immigration laws in the country. Instead of simply being fined for hiring illegal workers, businesses can now be shut down. By almost all estimates the law is working. Bus loads of illegal and legal workers are streaming out of the state.

However, what's left behind highlights the real complexities of the immigration issue. Will economies in border states suffer if they really crack down on illegal workers? Are there enough Americans willing to work in construction, agricultural, and service industry jobs for low wages? If you kick out an illegal worker, do you also lose the legal one that is a member of their family or their friend?

On a human level, you also feel for people just trying to find a better life in the United States. But we are also a nation of laws and there are good reasons to enforce them. Only time will tell if the current laws hurt more than they help.

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by nottellin1 April 11, 2008 8:07 PM EDT: Isnt it interesting that many pro illegal immigration posters pretending to be in the US have almost unreadable English grammer and spelling? I wonder how many a simply Mexicans using babal fish to translate.; Reply to this comment


by rhondagem April 11, 2008 7:49 PM EDT: Why don''t we focus on helping the people in our own country first, then extend that help to immigrants? The problem is there''s not enough being done for our own, the US is too worried about other countries when we got media blitzed psychotic episodes causing murders, kids beating up other kids and posting it to youtube and other horrendous violence and issues like poverty, illness, our economy, etc.; Reply to this comment


by kenhamlett April 11, 2008 4:23 PM EDT: A blanket exclusion of Mexicans is certainly not the answer. Most of them are an asset and make great CITIZENS. Those that have gone through the normal channels for entry into this country are an asset to us. The illegal entries must be dealt with. There must be someone in this country that can still do something outside the service sector that can fill the job voids.
Even the Bush Administration is trying. Even though the fence project may not stop the illegals at least they are trying.
I say welcome the law abiding immigrants, shut off the flow of cash from the USA that goes back to Mexico via the illegals, and of course tighten the border security.; Reply to this comment


by annaminah April 11, 2008 2:44 PM EDT: This is just to address the immigration issue. I think people really need to focus on something more positive. If there is someone that is suppose to be and they are problem, ok kick them out. But someone come and they are looking to make a better life for themselve and their family, who are we to kick them out. What if you are an immigrant and you ask no one for nothing, and you make it with out public assistance, who are you hurting. I think Americans need to come up with some kind of agreement. There is enough hate in the world today. We need to get along. Look at globalization, everything I use on my day to day life is imported. I feel we are all immigrants to some degree even if we were born in the USA. I think America has bigger problems than immigration, let''s come up amicable agreement, and do something better with our selves and money.; Reply to this comment


by ramos937 April 11, 2008 1:01 PM EDT: I am a small businessman looking to expand. AZ has offered one heck of a relocation deal. But during the "due diligence" phase, I came across the law regarding illegals and the penalty for having them on the payroll. Now knowing this, I pass on AZ. I simply cannot take the risk that one or more illegals could wind up on my payroll and then I would lose everything.; Reply to this comment


by baywatching April 11, 2008 3:16 AM EDT: Arizona Immigration. I lived in Phoenix for 40 years. My comments to your article are...yes there are Americans to fill the jobs openings exiting illegals leave. Yes, insured and uninsured Americans could use a tiny bit of the space illegals take up jamming the emergency rooms of the hospitals. Our doctor there said call 911 instead. Yes we can do without the crime and gangs of illegals who commit them. How about some compassion and charity for American Citizens.; Reply to this comment


by ruvygarcia April 10, 2008 11:36 PM EDT: we need our mexicans they were here before us go after your polysexaffenders where are your legal papers because everybody family came here illegaly hello az belongs to mexico like ca and new mexico and kanas and ok.and even texas wake up people or go jump in a lake they pay your taxes and child support grow up; Reply to this comment


by ossawo April 10, 2008 11:32 PM EDT: While researching my family history I ran across The Chinese Exclusion Act, passed May 6, 1882. The article can be found at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. It put a freeze on Chinese entering the US.

A law similar should be written for present day and days to come.; Reply to this comment

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