Illegal Immigrants in Arizona

Illegal immigration in the Arizona typically occurs when a person enters Arizona from a neighboring country like Mexico without lawful admission which is required by immigration law. Immigrants who enter Arizona unlawfully without having the required immigration authorization are considered undocumented immigrants or more popularly known as illegal immigrants. The phrase illegal immigrants in Arizona became a very popular during the SB1070 heated debate. This was when illegal immigration in Arizona became a topic of national news in response to Arizona illegal immigration law enacted to combat the issue of illegal immigrants in Arizona.


The phrase undocumented immigrants is the proper phrase used when describing immigrants residing in the United States without immigration authorization; however, the phrase illegal immigrants has become the more popular phrase especially in Arizona. To clarify a common misconception, illegal immigrants in Arizona (or in any other State within the U.S.) are not necessarily immigrants who have committed a criminal offense, but immigrants who are residing within the United States illegally without lawful admission or without current immigration authorizing documents. Sometimes it appears as if all illegal immigrants in Arizona came from Mexico, but that is far from the truth. There are immigrants from all parts of the world including Canada, Europe, Africa, China, Philippines and all over, who reside in Arizona as illegal immigrants. Unfortunately, the focus and pressure falls more on immigrants from Mexico which is a neighboring country to the United States. 

Who is an Illegal Immigrant in Arizona?
A person can become an illegal immigrant in Arizona under two circumstances: 

1. A person can become an illegal immigrant is by entering Arizona (U.S.) from another country (e.g. Mexico) without having the proper documentation. This is by far the most common occurrence in Arizona. This typically happens when immigrants from other countries cross the border between Arizona and Mexico without lawful admission by an immigration officer. Another example is when an immigrant obtains lawful admission by using a fraudulent document such as another person’s identification card, passport or green card.

2. The second way a person becomes an illegal immigrant is by remaining in the United the States without having valid immigration documents. This happens all over the United States including Arizona. A typical example is when a person enters the United States legally with all the proper documentation such as a workers visa, tourist visa, student visa but remains in the country after the visa has expired. In Arizona this is more common with foreign students whose student visa status has expired. It also happens to people visiting from Canada on a visa waiver program who want to stay for a longer period of time or visitors who have overstayed their visas. 

Whether a person entered without the proper documentation or overstayed a visa, there are consequences including severe penalty for remaining in the United States illegally. It is very important to contact an attorney to review the case in order to determine if there are Immigration laws that could remedy the illegal immigration issue. 

More on this topic can be found on the following link: http://immigrationlawyeraz.com/what-is-illegal-immigration/