News and Articles

The year 2008 was difficult for the immigrant community in Arizona for the enforcement of employer sanctions and ongoing operations against undocumented immigrants.

"The year 2008 was a lot of concern, fear and pain for undocumented immigrants in Arizona, many families were separated and parents were deported, leaving their children unprotected," Efe said Magdalena Schwartz, a representative of the Alliance of Religious Leaders Valley in Phoenix, Arizona.


2008 began in January with the implementation of state law sanctions on employers, which penalizes businesses that hire undocumented immigrants.

The owners of these companies may lose their operating license for up to 10 days and those who repeat a period of three years could lose them permanently.


The new regulation requires all employers to verify the immigration status of new employees through the federal E-verify. "

Although so far no business in Arizona has been punished, the entry into force of the law caused a domino effect among the immigrant community and the fear among business owners who started to lay off their employees, "without papers".


"This state law also affected legal residents and naturalized citizens, who are denied work because of flaws in the Social Security office," said Schwartz.

"Many businesses were forced to lay off employees despite being excellent workers," said the activist.


Fear and fear among undocumented migrants was much higher in Maricopa County because of the constant raids and operations against this community by agents of the Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

To date, Arpaio is the only authority in the Arizona state law to implement anti-coyote, which allows the arrest and prosecution of illegal immigrants who agree to have paid the coyotes to cross the United States illegally.


Under this law, the sheriff's office has arrested 1,161 illegal immigrants since it began to deploy in 2006, according to information from its website.

Throughout the years, Arpaio held steady operating on the streets of the cities of Phoenix, Mesa and Guadalupe, which ended with the arrest of dozens of undocumented immigrants.


"Many people were arrested only because they do not understand the direction to turn or bring the windshield broken," said Antonio Bustamante, a lawyer and local activist.

These operations were criticized by community members and politicians who said that agents of the Maricopa County sheriff these arrests were based solely on racial profiling.


Arpaio also carried out raids against businesses after receiving reports of possible violations of state law sanctions employers through a phone line set by his office.

Bailiffs arrested several illegal immigrants during these operations and some of them face charges of identity theft.


"It's very sad what has had to live our community, to live with constant fear, even to take to the streets for fear of being arrested and deported," said Schwartz.

According to the activist, his office has reached many families asking for help because a family member was arrested and deported.

"We hope once again that many families will be Arizona, some to other states or return to Mexico," he said.

"Our only hope is that in 2009 an immigration reform is achieved, if not, things can continue the same or worse in Arizona," concluded the activist.