We have globalization in all kinds of others things, but we have not globalized our immigration policy. Last week's conference was convened on the eve of the International Human Rights Day. That was no coincidence. Several speakers described the immigrants' struggle to escape poverty or political persecution in their homeland as a basic human right. Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, mostly Mexicans and Central Americans, enter the U.S. across the nation's southwest border every year.
Experts say most of the immigrants are headed north in search of jobs.
Holding the conference in Tucson also was fitting. A record number of immigrants now cross the Arizona-Mexico border as a result of stepped up enforcement efforts by the Border Patrol in cities to the east and west, such as El Paso, Texas and San Diego, California. In response, more agents are now being assigned to Arizona. Immigration officials insists the policy is sound. But critics say the tactic simply forces migrants to cross at remote and distinctly dangerous regions of the border.