Immigration law Ignites Fear in Arizona [New Law Has "Terrified" AZ Immigrant Community]

LATimes ^ | January 01st 2010 | Nicholas Riccardi

[Steelfish]

Immigration law Ignites Fear in Arizona

Nicholas Riccardi A new state law requires public workers to report illegal immigrants who apply for benefits they aren't entitled to. The attorney general will decide the law's scope.

Reporting from Tucson - Cristina, an illegal immigrant living in South Tucson, recently went to a government office to sign up her children for a state-run Medicaid program.

The boy and girl, ages 7 and 3, respectively, are U.S. citizens and entitled to the benefits. But Cristina, who spoke on condition her last name not be used, was fearful. She'd heard of a new state law requiring public workers to alert Immigration and Customs Enforcement when illegal immigrants apply for benefits they are not legally entitled to.

So when workers asked Cristina, 32, for identification, she fled. She now says she has no way to treat her daughter's liver problems or her son's asthma and impacted tooth.

Cristina, a single mother and part-time house cleaner, is even reluctant to take her children to a hospital emergency room. "I feel so alone," she said.

The new law has terrified the immigrant community here, leading to agonized discussions at schools, churches and community meetings about whether it is safe to get government help in Arizona. The author of the law, state Sen. Russell Pearce, is happy about that.

[Steely Tom]

I’ll believe they’re “terrified” if they start going home. In large numbers.

[Stentor]

Hope they crap themselves uncontrollably.

[cripplecreek]

Immigrants have nothing to worry about. Illegal invaders are another matter.

[Engineer_Soldier]

Cristina, a single mother and part-time house cleaner, is even reluctant to take her children to a hospital emergency room. "I feel so alone," she said.

Then Christina needs to return where she belongs and seek treatment for her anchor babies.

[bigbob]

Perfect! State laws get enforced by - guess who? Sheriff Joe! Who already says he’s got all the authority he needs to do what he does rounding up illegals - with a screw-you to Janet Incompetano.

[Niteflyr]

Wow some good news today!! Good way to start the new year!

[freedumb2003]

>>”I feel so alone,” she said. <<

You’ll be so much more together with your friends and family in Mexico.

[darkwing104]

About damn time...

[relictele]

So Cristina was 25 when she had the first and 29 when she had the second? Did it occur to this adult to either practice contraception or provide for their needs on her own?

[John-Irish]

Well it’s about GD time! Good Lord, these are not ‘’immigrants’’ They’re criminals, they’ve broken the law! The very idea they’re even allowed to go to school here, to church or EVEN JUST BE HERE is a bloody insult to every American citizen and legal immigrant! ENOUGH! ENFORCE THE F’ING LAWS ALREADY!! (sorry, but I had to rant)

[Soothesayer]

Taking benefits without legal citizenship is stealing. It’s not like stealing, it IS stealing. It’s still wrong even if the poor do it.

Of course, law and morality mean nothing to the pro-amnesty crowd.

[Talisker]

The hellhole that is Mexico will never change until it’s people stop being cowards and running away, and return home and fix it. Illegals not only break American laws by sneaking in here, they also betray their country by not staying there and fixing what’s wrong with it. Why should they show any respect for America, when they’ve already expressed their contempt for Mexico by abandoning it in it’s time of need? They’ve adopted the strategy of locusts - eat everything up, and then when things get difficult, move on to ravage someplace else.

[hal ogen]

You loser illegals. Go back to your rat-infested loser societies. If you want to come here, do so legally (and be ready to work honestly). Did I say...your societies stink?

[petitfour]

I have heard ZERO about this, but I have to say in our area of Tucson, the illegals have flooded the place over the past month. I’m wondering if all the Border Patrol have gone on vacation or if the Obama admin has stopped enforcing anything. When we moved here, we watched as enforcement was stepped up. But over the past three months, things have seemed to shift.

[Old Texan]

Oh hold on. If she is reaaly that alone (lonely), don’t let her on a plane. DHS Incompantant will give her anything she wants.

[EnglishOnly]

Well, Well,............. Cry me a River!

You mean the Gravy train for law Breaking illegals is coming to an end??

I guess they’ll have to break out an Atlas and find another country they can ransack & pillage!

Too bad we can’t get organized and send these pro ILLEGAL Politicians to JAIL as well for breaking the LAW!

All Illegals go to JAIL!

[Niteflyr]

Why should they show any respect for America, when they’ve already expressed their contempt for Mexico by abandoning it in it’s time of need?

But you can never get a Mexican to denounce Mexico. I've come to see it as not an act of national pride but demonstration of racism. When a Mexican living in the US shouts "Viva Mexico" what they really mean is viva Mexicans....screw white Europeans. If they really felt any love or pride for Mexico they'd stay there and be part of a solution to fix the problems.

[upchuck]

She now says she has no way to treat her daughter's liver problems or her son's asthma and impacted tooth.

Please, allow me to fix ALL of your problems:

GO HOME!

[pietraynor]

If you are here ILLEGALLY you should have ALL your possessions confiscated and sold to pay down the national debt. The you should be deported with all your family members who are here legally or illegally. That should be a start. When troops start coming back from overseas, after a good amount of leave they should be placed on the boarder to DEFEND the USA!