The new bill that is expected to be passed will make life difficult if not unbearable for illegal immigrants in the state of Arizona. Arizonans have been demanding a crackdown for many years now and finally their cries seem to have been heard. The accelerated passage of the bill and the overall acceptance of it may have been influenced by a couple of events that occurred recently.

During a raid of several bus companies (run by Mexicans incidentally) revealed a slick process which helped illegal immigrants get to safe havens. The busses would travel to pre-determined pick points along the border and load the illegal immigrants. They would then have to pay around $2,500 per person to be driven to their destination in Arizona. Each passenger was issued a legitimate $30 ticket in case they were stopped by any officers from law enforcement agencies along the way.

But the shocker that may have turned the tide could be the murder of rancher Rob Krentz. The rancher was shot dead on his own property by a suspected illegal immigrant. According to the evidence that is being pieced together, Krentz stopped to help a person in difficulties who is also suspected of illegally crossing the border. After shooting Krentz, the suspect is said to have fled through a wildlife refuge region. The Border patrol is not allowed to patrol this area and therefore many illegal crossings use this to their advantage.

The new laws that the bill will bring about are quite controversial and many from the legal immigrant community are protesting about it, as it would make even their lives difficult. However, their pleas seem to be falling on deaf ears especially with an important election looming.

Although it sounds innocuous enough, 287(g) is something that strikes terror in the hearts of illegal immigrants. This is not only because of what it is designed to do but because of the way it is being handled at the moment by law enforcement authorities.

287(g) is a law that empowers selected local police officers with the ability to question suspects regarding their immigration status. Thereafter, the officers can arrest, detain and set up deportation processes for the illegal immigrants. Used in the wrong way, to put it very bluntly, it allows officers carte blanche authority to question anyone based on their appearance. Although it may not have occurred that way in every situation, the number of complaints regarding civil rights abuse in relation to 287(g) is on the rise.

A report issued by the Homeland Security attributed the complaints to “lack of oversight, supervision & training by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as failure to check on the backgrounds of some officers as required by the law”.

ICE implemented 287(g) as a means to identify and remove illegal immigrants who were dangerous criminals such as those wanted for murder, rape, robbery or kidnapping. It is a telling sign that out of a sampling of 280 of those identified via the program, less than 10 percent (26 persons) fell into the “dangerous criminals” category.

The report did concede that ICE had made improvements to the program over the last few months but warned that “significant challenges in administering the 287(g) program continue to exist.”

Protestors gathered in thousands on Sunday in Washington, demanding that the Obama Administration bring about immigration reform. Over ten thousand activists are estimated to have been present at the rally which filled five blocks of the National Mall. ‘Justice and Dignity for All U.S. Immigrants’, ‘We just want to work’, and ‘Our journey as immigrants is a journey for human rights’ were some of the popular slogans of the day.

The reason the protestors are lobbying Obama is that he promised immigration reform in his Presidential Campaign; a promise that is yet to be delivered. The danger for Obama is that he could lose the Hispanic voter base which was helpful to him in winning the Presidential race. Hispanics form the largest immigrant group in the U.S. and it is widely known that the majority of the estimated 10.8 million illegal immigrants are Hispanics. The Hispanic group is not expected to side with the GOP, but they could abstain from voting; with the congressional elections looming in November, this could prove to be a deciding factor.

However, currently immigration reform is tied to healthcare. This is due to the way the healthcare bill is being handled at the moment by the Democrats. If they do use Reconciliation to get their way, the GOP will not make it easy for them to work out any sort of immigration reform. It appears that President Obama has a tough task ahead of him in choosing between his pet project and a key election promise.

The future for illegal immigrants in Idaho looks bleak as new legislation could see a drastic cut in employment rates. The legislation which could be in effect soon, pending changes, aims to bring harsh penalties on the use of false documentation.

The state intends to target the users of false documents, those who help illegal immigrants get false documentation and also those who employ illegal immigrants possessing false documents. The penalties are very harsh and it is this very fact that Idaho lawmakers are hoping will deter and eventually thin out the illegal immigrant population.

The legislation, which was put on the amendment calendar by the Senate State Affairs Committee, will create three new criminal offenses:

1. Use of false documents in securing employment – This offense can lead to a $5,000 fine and two years in jail.

2. Failing to ascertain legality of document – Employers that are paying those who possess false documents are also in danger and they face a hefty fine of $50,000 and also two years in jail.

3. Falsifying public records for employment – Under this offense, a person can be hit with a massive $250,000 fine and put in prison for up to 14 years.

Not everyone feels that the new legislation is necessary. Democrat Kate Kelly, the Senate Minority Leader, feels that this would only add to confusion as there are several provisions in place for dealing with these specific problems. The Latino community in Idaho also claims that the laws are “anti-Latino”. The lawmakers, however, insist that the legislation is not anti-Latino but instead is designed to combat those who take advantage of and prey on the Latino community.