Voices for Civil Dialogue

The Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University published this factual based report in May of 2010.

Until the 1990s, the presence of undocumented immigrants in Arizona was a familiar and generally tolerated fact. They were — and remain — an essential component of the state’s economy. However, the large influx of undocumented immigrants over the past 20 years has sharpened public attitudes and presented Arizona with serious public-policy challenges. Addressing these challenges in today’s highly charged atmosphere have been further complicated by the divisive effects of potent and oftrepeated assertions concerning illegal immigration. Some assertions are well founded, while others are either demonstratively false or not clearly established because data are not available to support or disprove them. Such claims fuel strong feelings on both sides and reduce the chances of an impartial collective resolution of this critical public-policy issue. Reviewing several of the more prominent assertions may help move Arizona’s debate onto a more productive path. Here are some of those assertions, followed by facts: