Border roundup: The cost of immigration, changes in 2013

Economy

Phoenix city officials say they're starting to feel the financial effects of SB 1070 through cancellations made by national conventions or conferences who book three to five years ahead of time. Scott Dunn, a spokesperson for the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau told Dustin Gardiner that “The misperception that our city does not value diversity continues to be an impediment to attracting national convention groups,” said Scott Dunn. By comparison, bookings in other cities with similar convention facilities like San Diego, San Antonio, Salt Lake City and Denver are holding steady or even growing.

Immigration enforcement costs the U.S. more per fiscal year than its other law enforcement agencies combined. In the 2012 fiscal year immigration enforcement cost the U.S. nearly $18 billion compared to $14.4 billion spent on its other prime law enforcement agencies - the FBI, Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshal Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - combined, according to a report released January 7 by the Migration Policy Institute. The same study found that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) also hand over more cases to be proscuted than these agencies combined and, for the fiscal year 2011, had more people in holding than the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Law enforcement

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has posted 500 armed volunteers from his posse to patrol about 50 Phoenix area schools. In a phone interview with Amanda Crawford, Arpaio calls the move preventative against bad guys while others told Crawford and Terry Greene Sterling the move could be considered threatening by some of the very kids and parents Arapio says the move is intended to protect.

Policy

Set to take effect mid-March, a new immigration rule may mean an end to family separations for undocumented immigrants who are eligible to apply for permanent residency by allowing them to start the process from within the country. Current policy requires them to leave and then apply, often leading to years of limbo and reduced family contact.

The U.S. Department of Justice has don't want a ban on SB 1070's "harboring provision" to be overturned, telling the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that federal law has higher authority than state law and already prohibits harboring illegal immigrants on a national basis. The state provision on harboring went into effect in July 2010 along with the rest of SB 1070. The federal government filed a lawsuit challenging SB 1070, while numerous civil rights groups challenged several of its provisions. Enforcement of the harboring provision was blocked at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on September 5, a move which Gov. Jan Brewer has asked the court to reverse.

The U.S. Department of Justice has don't want a ban on SB 1070's "harboring provision" to be overturned, telling the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that federal law has higher authority than state law and already prohibits harboring illegal immigrants on a national basis. The state provision on harboring went into effect in July 2010 along with the rest of SB 1070. The federal government filed a lawsuit challenging SB 1070, while numerous civil rights groups challenged several of its provisions. Enforcement of the harboring provision was blocked at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on September 5, a move which Gov. Jan Brewer has asked the court to reverse.

Crossing borders

While the summer is known to be deadly in the desert, many border crossers are finding out the hard way that the winter can be just as dangerous. Law enforcement, humanitarian groups and the Pima County Medical Examiner deal with migrant deaths year round with the leading causes being dehydration and exposure. Perla Trevizo spoke to representatives from each of these agencies as well as border crossers about their recent winter experiences.

Luis Aguillon's wife, Maria Sanchez, 26, died four days after CBP denied her parents entry on a humanitarian parole that would have allowed them to visit their daughter's deathbed after a nine year separation. Aguillon, a legal resident, had brought his wife and now five-year-old daughter to Houston to receive treatment.