Arizona has been making plenty of headlines lately, and for good reason! Our population has been countlessly growing, we've got the Superbowl coming to Glendale, and we are a budding tech hub. Unfortunately, not all that growth can be accounted for and is questionably sustainable.
Since 2021, illegal immigration in Arizona has grown a jaw-dropping 2,404.9 %! That's an even higher percentage of growth than the cost of renting/owning a home since then. (Ok, apples to oranges, but you get the point.) Consequently, many of these migrants are going straight to Yuma, an unassuming desert city, with a population of 96,000.
As stated here, In December of 2021 alone, more than 6,000 immigrants crossed through to the Greater Yuma area. Does Yuma have the infrastructure to support such spontaneous growth? We must ask ourselves how this will fiscally and socially impact our state and what type of solutions may we offer.
Whether you are for open borders or not, this type of influx opens the doors to many unforeseen consequences. Human trafficking and drugs are very real problems. According to Pinal county Sheriff M. Lamb, as of late, these occurrences are off the charts and “Worse than he's ever seen”.
US citizens are being incentivized to partake as getaway drivers. These drivers can fetch up to a whopping $800 per person. As we enter a recession and as people are getting harder up for cash and money, the likelihood of them partaking in things they normally wouldn't increase exponentially. For an out-of-work Uber driver, that's a whole lot of money!
What should we do? What can we do?
Arizona doesn't mess around when it comes to getting things done. We've got our priorities, but those priorities can be a bit different depending on what side of the political spectrum you are on. An Arizona public opinion 2022 poll ranks issues via importance:
Republicans said immigration (45%) is the most pressing issue, with jobs and the economy at 27% and health care and education each at 8%. Democrats are focused on health care (28%), jobs and the economy (27%), and education (18%), with immigration at 6%.
Independents cited jobs and the economy as the most important issue (32%), followed by immigration (22%), health care (13%) and education (13%).
Can we agree to disagree? Can we agree? Once again, regardless of side, these issues need to be addressed because the growth and implications can't be denied!
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