Liberty and Justice for All... Citizens

Whenever you think of Latino related issues what is the first thought that pops into your head: illegal immigration, right? Illegal immigration is definitely one of those hot button topics; no matter who you talk to someone always has a strong opinion about it. Many people have a problem with those who come into the United States illegally. However, does it mean that these people have the right to take the law into their own hands and deny these immigrants their civil rights? I recently read this article about sixteen Mexican immigrants that accused Roger Barnett,a rancher from Arizona, of "conspiring to violate their civil rights when he stopped them at gunpoint on his ranch on the U.S.-Mexico border" (Seper 1). The group, represented by MALDEF (The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educaiton Fund), seeks "$32 million in actual and punitive damages for civil rights violations, the infliction of emotional distress and other crimes" (Seper 4). Barnett, whose land has been frequently used by illegal immigrants to cross the border into the United States, claims that he started gathering immigrants due to the fact that his land was being littered upon and vandalized. He insists that these people have "[torn] up water pumps, killed calves, destroyed fences and gates, stole trucks and broke into his home." (Seper 11). He also claims that much of his cattle died because they ingested all of the pollution and waste the immigrants had left behind. Barnett's attorney states that the immigrants do not have the same legal rights due to the fact they are illegal. This case carries on and is, as of yet, unresolved.

Illegal immigration is one of the many issues that affects every single person. On one hand, you have Mexican immigrants crossing the borders desperate to find money and opportunity. On the other hand, you have the American people who have to deal with the growing issues of over-population and higher taxes. The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle does a very good job in showing the trials and tribulations of illegal immigration. We get to see through the eyes of not only the American person dealing with the issue but also of the Mexican person trying to make it in America and trying to achieve the American dream (isn't that what everyone wants?). The fact that Boyle does not try to make us choose sides is another aspect that makes this novel that much more interesting. The problem with illegal immigration is that there is no foreseeable solution that would satisfy both sides. Personally, I feel that the only way to truly stop the overflow of illegal immigrants is by simplifying the citizenship process. No, I do not mean that we should make the process so easy that anyone could get into the country because the line still needs to be drawn somewhere but this process should not take ten to fifteen years to complete. At the same, just because a person is illegal does not mean that one can just refuse to give him or her any rights. The last time I checked, holding up a group of people, threatening them with a gun and your dog, and screaming obscenities at them was illegal.

In the end, we are still going to have this ongoing struggle trying to solve the problem of illegal immigration. There are always going to be people like Roger Barnett who are completely against immigration and those who are not. However one thing we can all agree on is the fact that no one deserves to be treated like an animal. People need to learn to see both sides of the argument and they need to realize that this topic is not black and white (this really only applies to those that are really close-minded).


Seper, Jerry. "16 Illegals Sue Arizona Rancher." The Washington Times 9 Feb.
2009. 17 Mar. 2009 .