2008 Woodie Awards
Student and Faculty Views on Homeland Security
Mikara Cimmino
Issue date: 2/8/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Floodlights, armed soldiers, high-tech tracking devices, infrared night-vision scopes, low-light TV cameras, and ground-sensors are just a few of the things the U.S. border patrols have been using to try to keep immigrants from crossing over. Yet, even today, the controversy over immigration continues.
Tyler Arciaga, graduate student, Santiago Cal., who lives ten minutes from the border, said, "Living ten minutes from the U.S. Mexican border, I have seen the check points and border patrol overlooking and patrolling the fence. There is only so much that they can do though. It is a large area of land to watch over."
President Bush has authorized the 2006 DHS budget bill that included $7.5 billion for further militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border. He also hired an additional 1,000 Border Patrol agents to create more jails for immigrants and increase interior immigration police to intensify deportations.
"I understand they want a new opportunity, but the country is becoming much too overpopulated," said Katherine Knips, junior, Commack N.Y. "It also seems as though we have these high-tech equipment and machines and many U.S. border Patrollers, but we still can't stop these immigrants. It's a bit scary when I think about it."
According to Robert Martinez, director of the U.S. Mexican border program, for the first time since 1848 we are now having troops face-to-face with Mexican troops on the border.
A significant problem resulting from immigrants crossing the border is a lack of jobs for U.S. citizens.
"I think crossing the border for the immigrants is a good thing because all they want is a better life," said Amber Noviello, junior, Seaford, N.Y. "But then again, this is also a disadvantage to lower-class people seeing as though immigrants are taking their jobs."
People like Arciaga, however, have a different outlook on immigrants taking U.S. citizens jobs.
"There has to be some restrictions. You can't just have a wide open border," said Arciaga. "But I truly believe that immigrants are not taking anyone's jobs per say."
Most of the jobs being taken by immigrants are the undesirable jobs that most Americans will not do, said Arciaga.
There is still a lot of division and controversy on immigration issues.
"There are many groups that violently oppose with physical means and there are the groups who leave care-packages or survival-baskets to help the immigrants," said Arciaga. "When it comes down to it, immigrants are human."
Tyler Arciaga, graduate student, Santiago Cal., who lives ten minutes from the border, said, "Living ten minutes from the U.S. Mexican border, I have seen the check points and border patrol overlooking and patrolling the fence. There is only so much that they can do though. It is a large area of land to watch over."
President Bush has authorized the 2006 DHS budget bill that included $7.5 billion for further militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border. He also hired an additional 1,000 Border Patrol agents to create more jails for immigrants and increase interior immigration police to intensify deportations.
"I understand they want a new opportunity, but the country is becoming much too overpopulated," said Katherine Knips, junior, Commack N.Y. "It also seems as though we have these high-tech equipment and machines and many U.S. border Patrollers, but we still can't stop these immigrants. It's a bit scary when I think about it."
According to Robert Martinez, director of the U.S. Mexican border program, for the first time since 1848 we are now having troops face-to-face with Mexican troops on the border.
A significant problem resulting from immigrants crossing the border is a lack of jobs for U.S. citizens.
"I think crossing the border for the immigrants is a good thing because all they want is a better life," said Amber Noviello, junior, Seaford, N.Y. "But then again, this is also a disadvantage to lower-class people seeing as though immigrants are taking their jobs."
People like Arciaga, however, have a different outlook on immigrants taking U.S. citizens jobs.
"There has to be some restrictions. You can't just have a wide open border," said Arciaga. "But I truly believe that immigrants are not taking anyone's jobs per say."
Most of the jobs being taken by immigrants are the undesirable jobs that most Americans will not do, said Arciaga.
There is still a lot of division and controversy on immigration issues.
"There are many groups that violently oppose with physical means and there are the groups who leave care-packages or survival-baskets to help the immigrants," said Arciaga. "When it comes down to it, immigrants are human."
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