Billboard Aims to Stir Up Debate

July 18, 2006 10:49 PM

By J.D. Wallace, KOLD News 13 Reporter

A message greets thousands as they drive by each day on eastbound I-10, just before they reach I-19.

"We're encouraging citizens to engage in this debate, a very important debate taking place right now in Congress," said Steve Elliott, president of Grassfire.org.  The billboard urges Americans to "Stop the invasion.  Secure our borders."

It's a message of enforcement to crack down on illegal immigration.  It's also a message waiting for those who work learn and play within sight of it.

"That's not a positive message.  Stop the invasion?  We're not cockroaches, you know what I mean?  We're not invading anything," said Angelica Rodriguez, a senior at Aztlan Academy.

But with the nation at a crossroads on immigration reform, grassfire.org wants people to hear all sides of the issue.  Theirs is to stop illegal immigration with more enforcement along the border. The Minutemen have supported that approach, and taken action.

"This is very close to the frontline of this debate, the most important debate our nation is facing domestically," Elliott said.

Members of Derechos Humanos are no strangers to the debate, and have their own message.

"Enforcement only is not the answer.  It's never been the answer," said Kat Rodriguez with Derechos Humanos.  "Nobody wants to question why people are coming, they just want to put up a wall to change it.  If you're not changing the reason they are migrating, you're not affecting the situation."

"This is a message literally millions of citizens believe in their hearts and have the facts behind us, so we're really glad to have this billboard 100 percent sponsored by Arizonans across the state," Elliott said.

Even for some who don't agree with it, they still say this message is part of the open debate we enjoy, in a country so many seek to enter.

"The people that put that there have the right to do it you know, everybody has rights," said Maria Villa, a legalized immigrant.

Grassfire.org's message is also tells Congress to not allow the millions of illegal immigrants already here to become citizens.  The "path to citizenship" as it is decribed by the Senate is amnesty according to grassfire.org, but amnesty is something Derechos Humanos said should be granted.