Laws have consequences. With the new hard line immigration crackdown passed in Arizona, its impact will be felt on that particular state and others with similarly high concentrations of illegal immigrants.
As a direct result of the legislation, the nation should expect to witness a more aggressive approach in dealing with illegal immigration by authorities in the Grand Canyon State. For all the fresh complaints that the new law requires one to have a form of legal documentation, a fundamental truth gets lost in all the rhetoric of “racism” and “profiling.”
Before the strict Arizona immigration law, it was already expected by state police that a person stopped by them would have a form of legal identification. The same goes for California. Not producing identification only gives cause for further suspicion. The Arizona law is merely enforcing it in stricter fashion.
Given the hotbed that Arizona has been for crime from across the border and within the state, conservative circles may see the move as justifiable, having in mind the common saying that enough is enough. On the other side of the argument, more liberal circles are looking to capitalize on the situation in Arizona, attempting to paint the Republican Party as racist bigots.
Democrats have been mostly successful in this cold, calculated political move. Past election results lend credibility to this as Hispanics have almost monolithically sided with Democrats.
If there’s anyone that stands to lose from the new immigration law in Arizona, it’s states like California that don’t have Arizona’s strict immigration laws. After all, illegals will go where the path of least resistance lies. On top of that, Mexican drug cartels will likely shift their operations to places where enforcement is more lax.
With all eyes on Arizona at the moment, Mexican drug cartels can take their business where they can operate more freely. In a sense, they can take to heart the common saying “carpe diem!”
While protecting the borders is primarily a federal responsibility, California will continue to lag behind on law enforcement in immigration matters as long as it does not confront the problem in their state. This is especially true in light of the consequences to come from the Arizona law.
There are also implications for independents in the heart of the illegal immigration debate. As party-line bickering from both parties continues in their attempt to score political points with Hispanics, scoring political points off a certain demographic is old news for independents.
Real solutions without regard to one’s selfish pursuit of political popularity lie at the heart of independent voters and their stance on illegal immigration.
