One of the biggest concerns that Americans have associated with undocumented workers entering the United States is criminal activity, ranging from petty theft to the illegal drug trade and drug wars that are currently plaguing Mexico. While crime related to the drug trade is nothing new, the problem has intensified in the last decade. Since his election to the Mexican presidency in 2006, Felipe Calderon has waged war on the country's notorious drug cartels; a war that has had deadly consequences for not only Mexico, but for the United States as well. In this section, we will cover the facts and myths about crime related to undocumented workers entering the United States, based upon our political cartoons.
"Mexico Drug War" by Paresh Nath, India National Herald 2011
Idea(s) presented in this cartoon:
- Mexico is incompetently handling the drug war.
- The illegal drug trade is impervious to any attempts to stop it.
The Truth:
- The body count continues to rise, but the government has made some progress. By the end of 2010, ten members of Mexico's Most Wanted List had been killed or detained. Mexican troops patrol northern towns in effective numbers, hunting the cartels. Since 2007, drug-related homicides have become more concentrated (meaning that they are not spilling over into other Mexican municipalities.) Mexico has made some clear progress, but the violence continues the and the death count from drug-related violence is not going south anytime soon; over 40,000 people have died since 2007, over 15,000 in 2010 alone.
- The illegal drug trade is not invincible, but it chugs on. As stated above, several cartel leaders and important figures in the drug trade have been captured or killed. This has caused power vacuums to form in the cartels, disrupting the drug trade. However, despite the best efforts of the Mexican army and the U.S. border patrol, drugs still manage to find their way into the U.S. and the rest of the Americas.
So What?
This is important because some undocumented immigrants from Mexico work for drug cartels, and serve as "mules" to get drugs into the United States. While exact statistics are hard to come by, many undocumented immigrants who cross the border into the U.S. are not trafficking drugs, but the fact remains that some are.
"Poor Ol' Mexico" by Matt Wuerker, Politico.com 2011
Idea(s) presented in this cartoon:
- The United States is responsible for the continuation of the violence in Mexico by supplying drug money and guns.
The Truth:
- The United States is indeed a major player in Mexico's violence. According to figures from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), of the 29,284 firearms recovered in Mexico from 2009-2010, 20,504 (or close to 70%) came from the United States, either manufactured here or foreign made but went to Mexico through a U.S. source. In addition, the United States is a massive market for the illegal drug trade, which sustains the drug cartels.
So What?
The violence in Mexico and is a major factor in driving undocumented workers to immigrate, legally or otherwise, to the United States. The irony in all of this is that while some Americans want undocumented workers to stop coming into the States, America plays a big role in the continuation of the drugs wars that force Mexicans to immigrate in the first place.
"Attorney General Mole Hill" by Gary McCoy, Cagle Cartoons 2011
"American Killers" by Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune 2010
Idea(s) presented in these cartoons:
- Undocumented workers/immigrants are violent killers.
The Truth:
So What?
Public perception of undocumented workers often leans towards them being violent, drug-trafficking killers of American citizens. While this is sometimes the case, not all undocumented workers who cross the border into the United States are murderers, as some in the media might frame them. Those who flee Mexico often do so as refugees or for economic reasons, not as drug pushers.
- Not all of them, but there has been some violence dealing with undocumented workers/immigrants. Specific numbers on crimes and murders performed by undocumented immigrants are hard to come by according to Politifact, but such activities do happen, and some have resulted in the death of American citizens. The first cartoon specifically points to United States Border Patrol officer Brian Terry, who was shot and killed on December 14th, 2010. However, it should be noted that Terry was not killed by undocumented workers, but rather by a gang of bandits who had targeted a group of undocumented immigrants crossing the border, whom Terry was trying to protect when the gun battle erupted.
So What?
Public perception of undocumented workers often leans towards them being violent, drug-trafficking killers of American citizens. While this is sometimes the case, not all undocumented workers who cross the border into the United States are murderers, as some in the media might frame them. Those who flee Mexico often do so as refugees or for economic reasons, not as drug pushers.
"Fast and Furious Fail" by Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune 2011
"Iranian Terrorist Threat" by Gary Varvel, Indianapolis Star 2011
"What Line?" by David Fitzsimmons, Arizona Star 2010
Idea(s) presented in these cartoons:
- Lax border security could lead to bigger threats entering the United States.
- U.S. border security is inept and not enough in number.
The Truth
Fears over enemies of the United States causing havoc from the south is nothing new. Undocumented immigrants could possibly pose a threat to national security as proven by the recent plot by Iran, which is why border security is such an important issue. While most undocumented workers would not wish to cause any harm to America, you never know what might happen.
- Yes it could. Recently, Iran plotted to assassinate a Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States by hiring a hitman from a Mexican drug cartel to do the job. It turns out that the "representative" of the drug cartel who was meeting with the alleged plotters of the attack was actually a D.E.A. agent in disguise, and the plot was foiled as such; however, as this graphic shows, the attack could've been carried out had an actual cartel leader been willing to cooperate with the alleged terrorists. Still, the intricacy of this plot shows that porous borders, mixed with an unstable Mexico, could lead to disaster for the United States.
- Border security has increased in number. Governor Rick Perry had said recently that the U.S. federal government "has not engaged in border security at all." This is completely false, however. Politifact proved that border security has in fact greatly intensified since 2004, putting more boots on the border than ever before.
Fears over enemies of the United States causing havoc from the south is nothing new. Undocumented immigrants could possibly pose a threat to national security as proven by the recent plot by Iran, which is why border security is such an important issue. While most undocumented workers would not wish to cause any harm to America, you never know what might happen.
