Cast of Characters

There are some main players in the immigration arena that is Phoenix. I will start off with a "who's who," and if I can find it, a brief blurb in their own words about their beliefs on immigration.

Janet Napolitano- Governor of Arizona
Here is a link to :

"Testimony of Janet Napolitano, Governor of Arizona
Submitted to the
Subcommittee on Immigration,
Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security,
andInternational Law
“Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Impact
ofImmigration on States and Localities”

http://azgovernor.gov/documents/07-05-17%20Gov%20Napolitano%20Judiciary%20subcommittee%20testimony.pdf

Phil Gordon- (No you batman freaks not Police Commissioner) Mayor of Phoenix

Here is a link to a speech :

August 21, 2008
"The Cost of Immigration Enforcement"
Mayor Phil
Gordon

http://www.mayorgordon.com/news/view.cfm?id=-531507949



Joe Arpiao- Maricopa County Sheriff
There is not anything on the Sheriff's site that speaks of his beliefs on immigration, however I did find this article in the Washington Post titled:

One Sheriff Sees Immigration Answer as Simple
By John Pomfret and Sonya
GeisWashington Post Staff Writers Saturday, May 20, 2006; Page A03

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/19/AR2006051901856.html

Andrew Thomas- Mariocpa County Attorney

"Our office is responsible for the prosecution of more than 40,000 criminal
cases each year. My highest priority is holding criminals accountable for the
crimes they commit against people and the community." -http://www.maricopacountyattorney.org/ September 25, 2008

There is nothing on the county attorney's site in regards to his beliefs on immigration.

Elias Bermudas- Activist
Elias is a member of the group Immigrants Without Borders, and he is often quoted by members of the media for an immigration Activist's perception of events.

Here is a link to their blog on blogger:
http://demediacraticnation.blogspot.com/2006/07/groups-immigrants-without-borders-and.html


Another great site to check out to see more info on these various folks is: http://www.politickeraz.com/

Mission Statement

I moved to Arizona in early 2007. While I have always been aware of the "immigration debate," the climate in regards to immigration in Arizona, specifically the Phoenix Metro Area, is hotter than the desert summers.

Over the last year and a half I have seen and heard things that have astounded me at first and over time I have now come to expect. The complacency of such volatility has clouded my response on many occasions. For this reason, it is important to record and sort through the dramatic and important events that are unfolding in the Valley of the Sun. These are the events that will lead to the shaping of our policies and ideas in regards to immigration. So many would be shocked at the amount of angst and hate that is just waiting to explode from the epicenter that is Phoenix, Arizona.

I truly believe that what the South was and is to race relations historically the Southwest will be to immigration. As any person with a degree in history would do in a time when they feel they maybe witnessing a series of events with the possible result of this magnitude, I will try and document as much as I can.