Prison, like Heaven, is in our minds.

by Catherine Traywick, Media Consortium blogger

After signing a controversial $600 million border security bill last week, President Barack Obama is drawing fire from immigration reform advocates and anti-immigrant conservatives alike. While the former argue that the new security measures are a step backwards for comprehensive immigration reform, the latter say the bill does too little to secure our borders.

by Catherine A. Traywick, Media Consortium blogger

Anti-immigrant forces have adeptly shaped the ongoing immigration debate into an issue of crime and punishment. Now, the pending passage of a $600 million border security bill could breathe new life into the narrative of the criminal immigrant – despite the increasing safety of our border communities.

Jan Brewer and other out-of-touch officials continue to make Arizona famous for all the wrong reasons. Our accidental governor recently signed into law a ban on ethnic studies and a ban on human-animal hybrids. And just last week, a Prescott city councilman publicly called for artists to “lighten the skin” on images of children in a school mural. Check out our new video to see how Arizonans really feel about what’s happening in our state.

by Erin Rosa, Media Consortium blogger

A Border Patrol agent shot and killed a 14-year-old Mexican boy on June 7. At RaceWire, Julianne Hing reports that “Sergio Adrian Hernandez Huereca [was] on the Mexican side of the El Paso-Juarez border [and] was shot and killed by a Border Patrol officer, who was on the U.S. side.” The incident has been condemned by the Mexican government and sparked investigations by the Customs and Border Protection agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The exact details are still being investigated. The Border Patrol claims that the teen was throwing rocks at agents, but eye-witnesses on the Mexican side of the border say otherwise.

by Erin Rosa, Media Consortium blogger

President Barack Obama announced on Tuesday that he would be deploying 1,200 National Guard troops to the Mexican border to beef up security along the Río Bravo. This surprise move has garnered criticism from immigrant rights supporters, who argue that it will dehumanize and endanger immigrant and Latino communities.

A student summary of the events taking place on the border and the people who endure it.

Somehow, border security has shamelessly been linked to immigration policy in a way that allows political correctness to triumph over sound public policy and public safety. Fortunately, America’s security from foreigners seeking to do it harm is a nonpartisan issue—Americans want and Americans are entitled to security, the bedrock function of any government. There are immigration laws in place and as a nation of laws, which is what America is, these laws must be enforced and our borders must be secure, because our safety depends on it.

Even the wing nuts see palin as a moron