July of 2010

DURANGO, DGO.- Only a few weeks away of the controversial law SB1070 signed by Jan Brewer, Governor of Arizona state, goes into effect and that the federal legislative session period ends, the hope of immigration reform is every day more uncertain and distant.

The positions of the various sectors in favor and against immigrants remain: some in criminalizing the figure of the immigrant, and others claim to the Government for a forceful action that promotes family reunification, enable a decent and secure process to allow a way to the legalization of more than 12 million undocumented people.

According to agencies, some days ago the Barack Obama Government announced they would sue Arizona’s Government to block this law, and although the US State Department did not confirmed the statements made by Clinton, the comment airs in the political environment.

Although this new law is not yet applied, it already has had effects. Recently 25 people of Guanajuato were detained by the Immigration Department and are now processed in that state for being undocumented. Durango although officially has not reported any balance on the subject already, also has a stake in this.

According to recent reports Arizona already has lost more than $ 100,000,000 of cancelled events held in that city.

In Durango the effects of this law also have been filtered in homes and in the education sector.

Atilana Rodriguez, from Cuencame, said that his son Erasmo stopped working, his boss feared a retaliation from the local police of Phoenix, so he decided to fire more than 30 employees in a construction company.

“I do not know what to do, my son has not sent me money, the situation is difficult, and the family needs to eat”, said Rodriguez.

Martin Soriano, principal of the Autonomous University of Durango, (UAD), explained that the student community has a problematic scene, but said that it has also experienced its effects directly. “Students of this institution have relatives in the United States and the creation of these laws quite affect them, this is reflected in the lack of payments or the dropout of students by the lack of liquidity to solve their tuition,” said Soriano and others is to migrate to other States”, noted Soriano.

César Valenciano, chairman of Casa Durango Dallas, (CDD) noted that the effects of the 1070 have also felt in this city.

In the general context, this law according to the legal terms would be effective on July 29, criminalizing the illegal immigration in Arizona, immigration and thereby allowing the police stop and interrogate someone for their migratory status.

 Analysts point out that this is a pro party action waiting to vote for the Republicans; political scientists explain that this is a process of evolution to obtain an immigration reform. Locally, religious representatives, nominees for office elections, government officials and the community in general also talk about this.

Roberto Calderon, historian and political analyst of the University of the North Texas (UNT), said that law has two purposes: federal elections and promoting fear among immigrants. “The SB1070 is the device of a state where the barbarity and inequality prevail to extend privileges in sectors that are about to become in that state in the racial minority”.

“Shaking the racial issue in order to promote the interests of their voters that, mostly are white electors; the latin voter is around 12 per cent of the total registered voters tendto vote for the Democratic Party,” said Calderon.

The second purpose on long-term; is to attack and terrorize, says Calderon, “seek to sow and harvest the fruit of fear, they want this community to move, to flee from Arizona enforcing a kind of apartheid neo-fascist based on superficial like the color of skin and culture and language that identifies the Latin community”.

                                          The Church also speaks

 
  Priest Victor Solis, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Durango spokesman said that this issue is very worrying. “There is a repudiation to this law, also fear and concern, and the community has felt it; in the religious side have also have asked God to regularize their situation, as this legal determination would affect their daily living; I believe permeates the spirit of the Duranguenses and this is reflected,” said father Solís.

He added that in the spirit of the universal Church, migration is not a problem, said, “Is an opportunity for society”.

The priest added that: “the Catholic Church at this time must promote the hospitality and welcome immigrants, but requires a coordinated job between the countries involved, the country they travel from and the host countries, little is being done, there must be more enthusiasm in the diplomatics, what do we gain bringing a President to just say he doesn´t agree with the la and the flow of arms if there is not a sustainable job effective diplomacy? Work rapidly and go into the facts to the rugged terrain to detect problems” pointed out.

Recent surveys show a high degree of acceptance of the law. PEW Research Center said that the SB1070 is supported by the 73 per cent of the population of that State. Another survey company McClatchy-Ipsos reports that 61 percent of Americans and 64 percent of registered voters said to be in favor of the law.

Eduardo Rincón, President of Measuring Multicultural Markets, in Dallas, believed that it was not 100 per cent credible the results of these two companies.

“Not a truthful response can be when it is done only in English, as you let out a universe of people who speak only Spanish, so I believe that these values are questionable”, said Rincón.

Added that the actions as boycott and protests against SB 1070 are maintained could affect the economic interests of Arizona, although he said, “we should see the results these days and evaluate them carefully”, concluded Rincon.   

Myrna Alarcon Director of International Affairs and support to migrants in Durango, said that so far there is no official reports of Duranguenses deported from Arizona because of the SB1070.

 “Fortunately for Arizona, there is not a large concentration of Duranguenses in that state; what we’ve been doing is to rely on a protection of migrants law, and that allows us to act for any presented situation; offer support regardless of whether this administration ends, the support continues”, said Alarcon.

The officer added, you have posted approximately 500,000 Duranguenses in the United States, distributed primarily in Illinois, California and Texas.

Jorge Herrera Delgado, Chairman of the Grand Committee of the State Congress in Durango gave his opinion on this law and said that in the case of a repercussion at a local level has already made a repudiation of it by homophobic and racist. “It is a law which segregates and even for its appearance makes a distinction of human beings, we must maintain a position of the federal government to seek support mechanisms for one of the most vulnerable sectors, migrants”, explained Herrera Delgado.

Also added that there is work done in this regard, and referred the law of the migrant protection issued in 2008.

                                           The candidates talk too

Jose Rosas Aispuro Torres, governor candidate of the ‘Coalition Durango unites us’, acknowledged that the Government owes solidarity towards migrants and said to know about their needs. “My father was also a migrant and by that I know their suffering; unfortunately many things still remain unchanged, that is why I intend to provide a guarantee of economic and social security”, said Aispuro Torres.

This is a sector that requires broad support both for them and for their families; occasionally our own authorities cause them harassment and abuse; but they also deserve respect and guarantee of economic security, said this candidate.

Jorge Herrera Caldera, candidate recognized the absence of migrants as a response to the lack of opportunities in this country and shamed the current Arizona law describing it as inhumane “this only confirms us that the United States continues to be a racist country which attempts against the humanity principles”.

Herrera Caldera also spoke about creating opportunities to support young talents who graduate from schools and universities, thus enabling a better development of them and benefit their communities.

Gonzalo Yañez, the PT party candidate for mayor believed that migrants are the product of the failure of a national economic model and duranguense which has not been able to generate alternatives of manpower, employment and economic development.

“The law SB 1070 is only a desperate American economic model that has already succumbed, and also shows the xenophobic desire of groups who reject the migrant”, expressed Yañez.

Yañez said that Durango is ready to receive migrants with financial resources. He added that “is necessary, an economic restructuration to cease the poverty and migration factory that Mexico has become”, emphasized Yañez.

 Nora Loera of the Ecologist Green Party, (PVEM) was not available for comments.

By Luis Ángel Galván

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