As of this writing, I'm standing among the tens of thousands of people who took to the streets in Phoenix today to demonstrate for immigration. Because of the size of the crowd, there is a heavy police presence. But one of those standing guard isn't here of his own choosing.
His name is Sean Pearce, and he's a deputy with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. In late 2004, he was shot by an illegal alien while executing a search warrant on a murder suspect.
There's no doubt about where he stands on the issue of illegal immigration. "We have laws that you need to enforce, and if you don't abide by those laws...to me it's no different if you're burglar," Pearce said.
He's not the only one with that last name to feel that way. His father, Russell Pearce, is a state representative who is one of the loudest voices in the state when it comes to illegal immigration. His son's shooting has made the issue even more personal to him.
Nonetheless, Deputy Pearce must do his job, even if that job involves standing guard to protect a crowd that includes some illegal immigrants, the very people he says are causing many of the state's problems.
