Arizona’s tough new immigration law is the result of the federal
government’s inability to secure the borders and enforce existing
laws. The law calls for the police to question anyone they
”
reasonably suspect
”
of being in the country illegally.
Arizona’s tough new immigration law is the result of the federal government’s inability to secure the borders and enforce existing laws. The law calls for the police to question anyone they “reasonably suspect” of being in the country illegally.
Almost everyone agrees our immigration system is broken. Why then, hasn’t the federal government done enough to satisfy Arizonians? The answer is the “bottom line” – the cost of enforcing immigration laws is exorbitant, and the cost savings of cheap labor shared by private industries and consumers benefit the economy.
A while back, a group of us delivered coffee and sweet bread to day laborers waiting for work. As we stood and chatted with the men, a contractor drove up in a truck and asked, in English, for a couple of workers. The men stood silent, so I turned to them and translated, “He needs two workers.” A few of the men turned and walked away.
Finally, one of the laborers looked at me and responded, “el no paga.” He doesn’t pay. I told the contractor, “They’re not interested.”
He looked disgusted, shook his head, and drove off. Further down the road, he came across another group of men and made a hand gesture that he needed two workers. No luck. The workers knew him and declined. He kept driving until finally two workers hopped into the bed of his truck and they drove off.
The men who refused the offer told me the contractor would agree to pay them a certain hourly rate, but at the end of the day, would pay them only a fraction of the amount they had agreed upon. It didn’t take long for word to spread among the men about the hiring practices of this particular contractor.
On that day, there were workers willing to work. Either they were new to the area and unaware of the contractor’s practices or were willing to do the work at a drastically reduced hourly rate. Sometimes accepting substandard wages is better than nothing, especially when you don’t have many options. Workers who don’t have proper documentation for employment in the United States have very limited options.
It is worth noting that locally only a handful of unscrupulous contractors exploit day laborers. For the most part, contractors and individuals that hire day laborers treat them fairly and pay according to the agreed upon rate.
What I experienced that morning, however, was a glimpse of our broken immigration system.
We are a nation of laws, yet it is becoming financially difficult to enforce the laws. At a local level, many municipalities are reducing their public safety staff and cutting back on services. Some are consolidating their services with other government agencies, like the city of Morgan Hill considering the feasibility of transferring their police duties to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department.
When President Barack Obama met with Arizona’s governor, Jan Brewer, shortly after she signed SB1070, he committed to send 1,200 National Guard troops to the border and to seek half a billion additional dollars for border enforcement. This level of support was insufficient for Sen. John McCain of Arizona, once an advocate for immigration reform. McCain suggested the federal government send 6,000 troops and $2 billion.
Would those new figures be enough to secure our borders?
Is this even a viable answer to border security?
Probably not, but it might help McCain win his re-election. Anti-immigrant rhetoric is popular among some politicians because it’s supported in the public polls. But once in office, fewer politicians are willing to really work on solutions.
Why? The bottom line. Immigration laws are too expensive to enforce, and the economy benefits from cheap labor.
You don’t have to be an economist to understand that in order to maximize profits, you reduce the costs of production. One of the biggest costs for employers is labor, including health care, other insurance and retirement benefits. This is one reason why undocumented workers are readily hired by businesses – it reduces the cost of production.
When I’ve worked with day laborers, I realize I’m only a change of clothes away from being “reasonably suspected” of being labeled illegal. In the past, I’ve traveled to and across the Arizona-Mexican border without any problems. Now I’m not so sure.
I know families that have changed summer plans because of the new Arizona law. They are joining others in boycotting the state with the goal of retracting the law.
Is there a need for comprehensive immigration reform? Yes. Is Arizona’s law a step in the right direction? No, because it doesn’t deal with the bottom line.
Mario Banuelos has lived in Morgan Hill for 21 years. He has served on the south County Dayworker Committee and is a member of the Morgan Hill Community Foundation. He is married and has four children.
