Students differ on illegal immigration stance

Living in Arizona, the topic of illegal immigration is nearly impossible to avoid.

Our infamous County Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, has a very strong and well-known stance on the issue. He makes it his personal duty to find and arrest illegal immigrants every chance he gets.

Freshman Jeff Klein, a criminal justice major at SCC said, "I'm pretty against illegal immigration. I think people should come here, but do it the right way, like get your green card."

Klein said that location makes a large difference in his stance. Originally from New York, Klein said immigration was not as prevalent of an issue as it is in Arizona.

A few people in Klein's family work in the law enforcement field and that is a large part of his life. He thinks that the browbeating and stressful immigration process is in place to protect our safety, saying, "I mean you have to really know who you're letting in the country."

Yes, the safety of our nation is quite important. No argument there. There is no need to add to the abundance of crime already taking place in every city and this is one of the main reasons behind having to apply for citizenship or a green card.

Bill Lane, a student at SCC, went through the immigration process a few years back with his ex-wife, an immigrant from Canada. According to Lane, the immigration process was time-consuming, unreliable and expensive with rules that can only be followed by reading between the lines.

Devin Kennedy, a film major, made the argument that immigrants founded this country. He understands that many people cannot afford to apply legally but are desperate for a better life, saying, "People immigrate here for opportunities. I think a lot of them just think it's worth the risk of getting deported."

Sophomore Kate Bowers, an English major, defends the lengthy process by saying, "It's a shame that it's such a long and tiresome process but it's kind of necessary because as much as we would like to invite as many people here as possible, we can't just let everyone in."

Freshman Michael Pond, a film major, can see both sides of the immigration issue. He said that illegal immigrants fill many jobs that American citizens do not want but that must be done. However, he thinks that it hurts the American economy because many of them send the money back to their home countries.

Pond said, "I'm kind of neutral about illegal immigration. It's not something I support but it's not something I feel is wrong either."

Although opinions differ, one thing rings true: people brave great dangers while crossing American boarders illegally. They do this with high hopes of changing their future for the better. If America wishes to lower illegal immigration it needs to lower the time and cost of the immigration process.