Dec. 21, 2004
CBS
The only thing hotter than the peppers being picked along the U.S.-Mexico border these days is the reaction to Arizona's voter approved Proposition 200 aimed at weeding out illegal immigrants, cutting off their public benefits and sending them back home.
"These people just flood across and they're ruining our health care system and they're ruining our schools," says Walter Kolbe. "The people are just fed up with it."
As CBS News Correspondent Jerry Bowen reports, From Kolbe's backyard one can see Mexico and the backpacks and water bottles abandoned by the nightly wave of illegals crossing over.
"We are saying to our politicians, 'If you're against it then do something and stop this raping of our country,'" Kolbe said.
It was ten years ago that Angelita sneaked across to work as a housekeeper, a church volunteer and raise her family. Now, she's afraid to show her face.
"Ten years have passed and I live in fear in a country that can at any moment send me back to Mexico," Angelita said.
Angelita is in the Proposition 200 bull's eye because she is still illegal. So is her oldest daughter. Only her youngest girl was born in the United States.
"The oldest asks 'Why? Why can't we be accepted as Americans?'" Angelita told Bowen.
Hospital administrator Jim Dickson says soaring health care costs for illegal immigrants in border towns like Bisbee, Arizona helped fan the fires of Proposition 200.
"It will probably cause all the hospitals on the border to close if we don't start doing something about it," he says.
Proposition 200 doesn't just targets illegals. State funded workers, like the receptionists and doctors at a rural clinic, face fines and jail time if they don't turn in undocumented patients. Dr. Peggy Avina says she's ready for the handcuffs.
"I won't do it," says Avina. "They'll have to arrest me, because I won't do it."
The move to block immigration across the border triggered some surprising support. Nearly one-half of Arizona's Latino voters - 47 percent - voted for Propostion 200 and voted for cutting off benefits to the newest arrivals from south of the border.
The federal court ruling today says the law can take effect immediately. But critics say it will be very costly if enforced, especially if frightened illegals avoid health care to avoid being caught.
"As you have immigration across the border, diseases come, and so if the people who are here do not receive care, we cannot control the disease pattern," Dickson said.
But Arizonans voted their frustration.
"I'm afraid it's going to turn violent if someone doesn't listen to us," Kolbe said.
Now they just want the courts to back off and bend to the will of the people.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/12/22/eveningnews/main662587.shtml
Steve, The ariticle on Propostion 200 in Az that you have on your web site only tells part of the story. Doctors and firefighters union came out against it before the election. The way the bill was written, they will get mandatory jail time for treating an illegal. The problem is especially worrisome in emergency services. Basically what it calls for is that they check every indiviual for citizenship before treatment or run the risk of treating an alien and jail. Paramedics are especially worried since they normally are not in a position to get ID before administering treatment in the field. An example would be, a woman is in a car accident and they would have to dig through the car to find her purse to get ID before treating and thus delaying treatment for all! Most people I know that voted for this bill, did not bother to read the whole thing! Either the medical professionals risk everything and treat anyway or we all run the risk of treatment delays while they verify our rights to be treated. I see this as a way for them to argue the need for a National ID! It also affects other services.A teacher can not teach an illegal either even though that goes against federal law.Now how is a teacher suppose to check a childs ID? Even our Attorney General (very conservative!) for Maricopa county came out against it and he and others had the paper work ready to file with the state Supreme court in the event that it passes. When will (if ever) people learn to read a bill before they vote!
Nancy in AZ