Arizona has recently passed what is being heralded as (or criticized for being) the nation's strongest laws concerning illegal aliens. Proponents say that it finally gets tough with illegal aliens since the US government can't seem to keep up. Opponents say it's going to lead to racial profiling with persons being stopped and questioned for the color of their skin.
It is clear that illegal immigration is a major problem in Arizona and those states that border Mexico. And, while less severe, it's an issue across the nation. While border states have benefited the most, with much of their infrastructure built by immigrants, legal and otherwise, over the last several decades, they have also suffered the most with increased border violence, trafficking in drugs and people, and social stresses. I don't live there. I confess that illegal immigration is an issue I know less about than I should and have less invested in it, personally, than perhaps I should. Anchorage has a lot of immigrants (legal and otherwise). Our Superintendent recently attended a rally and wrote a
blog post that included references to United Methodist Social Principles.
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