The Trump Administration put out memos on new priorities for those eligible for deportation. It also enlists local police to help enforce federal immigration laws. Lisa Magana, an associate professor in Arizona State University’s School of Transborder Studies, will tell us about the changes.
TED SIMONS: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON." I'M TED SIMONS. THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TODAY ISSUED AN EXTENSIVE SET OF NEW ORDERS DESIGNED TO INCREASE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. THEY INCLUDE EXPEDITING DEPORTATION AND THE ENLISTMENT OF LOCAL POLICE TO HELP ENFORCE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS. FOR MORE ON TODAY'S SWEEPING CHANGES, WE WELCOME LISA MAGANA, AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT ASU'S SCHOOL OF TRANSBORDER STUDIES. WELCOME BACK TO ARIZONA HORIZON.
LISA MAGANA: THANK YOU. GOOD TO BE HERE.
TED SIMONS: THESE NEW POLICIES, GIVE ME AN OVERVIEW.
LISA MAGANA: AN OVERVIEW IS THAT MORE OFFICERS ARE GOING TO BE HIRED TO PROCESS THIS MEMO. IT'S PRETTY NEW, WE'RE ALL STILL ANALYZING IT AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT. SO MORE BORDER PATROL AGENTS AND I.C.E. AGENTS. IT CHANGES THE PRIORITY OF THOSE THAT CAN BE DEPORTED OR REMOVED. PREVIOUSLY, THE PRIORITY WAS A SERIOUS, SERIOUS CRIMINAL. AND NOW IT'S -- WE'RE STILL AGAIN TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT, BUT IF YOU'VE BROKEN THE LAW WHICH CAN INCLUDE A DUI OR, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC VIOLATION. AND IT ALSO CHANGES THE PARAMETER OF WHERE YOU CAN IN FACT PICK SOMEONE UP. IT WAS PREVIOUSLY CLOSER TO THE BORDER. NOW THIS REFERS TO THE WHOLE UNITED STATES WHICH SPEAKS TO MORE URBAN IMMIGRATION SETTLEMENT. AND THERE'S ALSO USED TO BE A MINIMUM OF TWO WEEKS, WE'D EXPEDITE DEPORTATION REMOVAL, NOW IT'S UP TO TWO YEARS SO PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED HERE A WHILE. THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS NOT BEING A MASS DEPORTATION. WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT GOES ON. IT DOESN'T TOUCH DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVAL, KIDS BROUGHT HERE THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, HOWEVER, WE'RE NOT SURE IF THIS CAN BE SOMETHING AMENDED DOWN THE LINE. MAYBE SOMETHING JEFF SESSIONS CAN LOOK AT. SO WE'RE NOT -- HE SAID HE'S NOT TALKING ABOUT DACA RIGHT NOW, BUT WE'LL WAIT AND SEE.
TED SIMONS: THIS SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT LIKE THE MESA MOM CASE AT LARGE.
LISA MAGANA: EXACTLY. FOR THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH A MOM THAT AGAIN -- THE LAW THAT SHE BROKE WAS SHE HAD USED FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTATION IN ORDER TO GET A JOB, HAD TWO CHILDREN HERE AND WAS JUST CHECKING IN BECAUSE OF THAT PRIORITY THAT SHE WASN'T A SERIOUS CRIMINAL AND IN FACT DEPORTED. IS NOW IN MEXICO AND KIDS -- HER CHILDREN HAVE NEVER BEEN TO MEXICO AS OF WHAT I KNOW RIGHT NOW. SO THAT'S THE OTHER PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR POLICY IS THAT THERE'S MIXED FAMILIES. YOU HAVE KIDS THAT ARE BORN HERE AND MOM AND DAD MAY NOT BE HERE LEGALLY. WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IF MOM OR DAD ARE DEPORTED, WHO'S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THESE KIDS, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. ALL OF THESE UNCERTAINTIES.
TED SIMONS: THE IDEA OF STARTING THE PROCESS TO HIRE AT LEAST 10,000 MORE I.C.E. AND BORDER PATROL AGENTS TO START THE PROCESS OF EXPANDING DETENTION FACILITIES, CREATING AN OFFICE, I FOUND INTERESTING, TO ASSIST FAMILIES WHO HAD FAMILY MEMBERS KILLED BY UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS. IS THIS GOING TO COST MONEY?
LISA MAGANA: IT'S GOING TO COST A LOT OF MONEY. A LOT OF MONEY, I CAN SAY THAT. CAN I JUST BACK UP A LITTLE BIT?
TED SIMONS: YES.
LISA MAGANA: IMMIGRATION AS WE KNOW HAS GONE DOWN. IT'S BEEN DOWN FOR A WHILE. YOU TALKED ABOUT A NET MIGRATION -- ZERO NET MIGRATION WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE LEFT AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING IN. THIS IS NOT, I WOULD SUGGEST, A PRIORITY ISSUE. WE'RE NOW FOCUSING ON THE 11 MILLION PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING HERE. SO THIS IDEA -- YOU'LL HEAR THIS A LOT, WE'RE GOING TO SECURE THE BORDER, WE NEED TO DO MORE IN TERMS OF ENFORCEMENT. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS MEMO. IT STRICTLY FOCUSES ON ENFORCEMENT. SO I MIGHT HEAR, WHY DON'T PEOPLE COME IN THE RIGHT WAY. AGAIN, WE DON'T PUT MONEY TOWARD THE SERVICES OF IMMIGRANTS OR ALLOCATING MORE VISAS OR HELPING PEOPLE COME IN LEGALLY. THE EMPHASIS IS MORE ON ENFORCEMENT. IT'S GOING TO COST A LOT OF MONEY, JUST LIKE THE WALL. I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S A MEMO. I WONDER HOW MUCH OF IT IS REALISTICALLY, HOW MUCH OF THIS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED. I WOULD JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE DANGER OF SOME OF THESE LAWS IS THAT SOMETIMES LAWS DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE IMPLEMENTED, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH MISINFORMATION THAT IN MANY WAYS CAN BE JUST AS EFFECTIVE.
TED SIMONS: YET THOSE WHO SUPPORT THIS MOVE AND I'M SURE PRESIDENT TRUMP WOULD SAY IT HIMSELF, IF THIS WORRIES YOU AND YOU ARE AN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT, GOOD. THAT'S THE IDEA.
LISA MAGANA: UH-HUH.
TED SIMONS: AND THAT'S THE IDEA THAT IF YOU'RE THINKING OF COMING HERE, YOU SHOULD BE WORRIED.
LISA MAGANA: RIGHT. AND RESPECTFULLY, STUDYING IMMIGRATION, THE NUMBER ONE REASON PEOPLE COME IS FOR JOBS. AND SO LAWS, SUCH AS CAN'T GET A DRIVER'S LICENSE IN ARIZONA IF YOU'RE AN UNAUTHORIZED IMMIGRANT, DETERRENTS DON'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS WORK. THIS SORT OF -- THESE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS, I THINK IN SOME WAYS BECOME MORE SYMBOLIC. I SAY THIS A LOT. MORE SYMBOLIC THAN SUBSTANTIVE.
TED SIMONS: I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT THE POLITICAL WILL AND FALLOUT FROM ALL OF THIS. EVENTUALLY, THERE ARE FOLKS IN CERTAIN INDUSTRIES, MEAT PACKING, SLAUGHTER HOUSES, AGRICULTURE, THESE SORTS OF THINGS COME FIRST TO MIND. WHAT ARE THEY THINKING ABOUT THIS?
LISA MAGANA: THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL EXCELLENT STUDIES IN ARIZONA LOOKING AT THE COST AND BENEFITS OF IMMIGRANTS ON THE ARIZONA ECONOMY. OVERWHELMINGLY, IMMIGRANTS ARE A NET -- CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMY, OVERWHELMINGLY. EVEN MORE SO, MORE THAN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS CONTRIBUTE MORE THAN LEGAL IMMIGRANTS BECAUSE THEY DON'T GET MONEY BACK. SO, YES, ABSOLUTELY. IF WE HAVE PEOPLE LEAVING THE ECONOMY, IT ABSOLUTELY HURTS. AGAIN, THE POLICING ASPECTS IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO ACTUALLY START TO FIND AND LOOK AND APPREHEND THESE PEOPLE --
TED SIMONS: AND WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THE 287G ASPECT OF IT YET.
LISA MAGANA: WE HAVEN'T.
TED SIMONS: AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS. WITH THE MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT BASICALLY TAKING ON FEDERAL IMMIGRATION DUTIES.
LISA MAGANA: PART OF THIS MEMO HAS A -- TO EXPAND 287G. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, IT'S A PROVISION THAT SAYS THAT POLICE OFFICERS -- AND REMEMBER NATIONALLY NOW, CAN BE SPECIALLY TRAINED TO HELP WORK WITH IMMIGRATION ACTIVITIES. WE'VE GOTTEN INTO SOME PROBLEMS HERE IN ARIZONA AS YOU KNOW WITH MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND RACIAL PROFILING BECAUSE THEY DID NOT CARRY OUT PROPERLY 287G. THIS MEMO HAS PROVISIONS FOR THAT TO BE EXPANDED NATIONALLY. AND SO THAT'S REALLY SCARY IN TERMS OF HOW -- A LOT OF MISINFORMATION AGAIN ABOUT WHAT IN FACT POLICE OFFICERS CAN DO. IF I CAN ADD, MAYBE GETS INTO THIS TOPIC ABOUT SANCTUARY CITIES AS WELL. BUT POLICE ACTIVITIES AND IMMIGRATION ACTIVITIES, WE LIKE TO KEEP THEM SEPARATE. THE REASON IS IF I'M AFRAID TO CALL THE POLICE FOR FEAR I MIGHT DEPORTED, IT KIND OF RUINS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS. BUT POLICE OFFICERS LIKE TO KEEP AT LEAST THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY FEEL SAFE THAT THEY CAN CALL THE POLICE. SO MANY WAYS, THESE TYPES OF POLICIES REALLY HURT THAT RAPPORT WITH IMMIGRANTS.
TED SIMONS: I KNOW DHS SAYS SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS WILL ROLLOUT SLOWER THAN OTHERS. WE'LL SEE HOW THAT WORKS. WE'LL GET INCREASING INFORMATION ON THE FALLOUT FROM ALL THIS.
LISA MAGANA: OH, YEAH.
TED SIMONS: GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
LISA MAGANA: THANK YOU. MY PLEASURE.
TED SIMONS: YOU'RE WATCHING "ARIZONA HORIZON." UP NEXT, CONCERNS REGARDING A LACK OF FUNDING FOR COMPUTER SYSTEMS IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
Lisa Magana; associate professor in Arizona State University's School of Transborder Studies
