The violence in many Latin American countries forces people to flee from their homes and journey to the United States in hopes of achieving an improved life. An example of this violence occurs in Honduras where cartels run the streets, “I couldn 't just go to another neighbourhood. They 'll find you there." "They were asking for the war tax," equivalent to half of all sales, says Maver Flores, a shopkeeper, who fled Honduras with her four-year-old daughter.” (Agren para 11). This story emphasizes how gangs in Honduras exploit businesses and threaten them with death if they refuse payment. Most people feel sympathy for Mrs. Flores and gain a perspective on why these people journey to the United States. However, while most immigrants arrive to the United States with the intention of obeying the law and bettering their family life, some arrive with criminal intentions. By looking at the prison population, one gains the ability to see how illegals impact the US judicial system, “Illegal aliens account for 29 percent of our total prison population. Many more Mexican criminals still roam our streets. The 18th Street Gang [Mexican American youth], and MS-13 [Salvadoran immigrants] have already taken over the streets of Los Angeles,” (Gibson 3). These illegal immigrants cost the United States taxpayers millions of dollars a year. Even though most people entering the United …show more content…
Many residents along previously fenced sections have seen their way of life diminished. Vitiello interviews a variety of people along the border and concludes that, “Today, many critics of the fence are people it was supposed to protect--ranchers, farmers, and urban refugees who have been most vulnerable to the trespassing, littering, and petty thievery by migrants trooping north across their land.” (Vitiello para 26). Negatively impacting the lifestyle of American citizens along the fence damages the government’s plan to construct additional fencing since other residents might fight and protest more. Another example of adverse effects of the wall, in the words of an 83 year old woman who lived on the border since birth, “Since the fence went up, crime has further spiralled. "I 'm a gung-ho Texan. I 've brought up four kids here and I 've made this place my life. But there are times, since the barrier went up, when it hasn 't felt like home."(Adams para 16). These opinions on the wall differ from those normally in congress because government legislation affects their daily lives drastically. In response, many people along the border view themselves as "very right-wing Democrat" (Adams 20). Many residents also fear the government’s power of eminent domain on their lands. Politicians must take extreme caution not to anger any of these different groups if they