Two major periods of immigration
             influxes since the turn of the century as well as the transformation of the
             nation due to both illegal and legal immigration have determined large
             Hispanic communities in many Western states. States like Texas, for
             example, have struggled to define increasingly complex Hispanic communities
             and create a response, both in the government and in law enforcement,
             for addressing the needs of these large Hispanic communities.
                      In recent years, an
             obvious dichotomous view has come to the forefront of national debates
             about the composition of Hispanic communities in border states and the
             conflicts have arisen over immigrant and citizen rights, the rights of
             the Hispanic Americans community as a whole, the negative correlates
             attached to cultural and language differences, and the role of law
             enforcement officers, both of Hispanic and non-Hispanic decent, in addressing
                   Though varied communities have existed
             in cities like El Paso, Pecos, and Rio Del for decades, changes in
             immigration, both legal and illegal, have impacted the demographic
             characteristics of a number of West Texas cities and towns and has underscored
             divisions between predominant White (European American) communities and
             predominantly Hispanic communities. Large-scale increases in
             immigration from Latin American countries in Texas in general has gained national
             attention, but it has also been recognized that cities like El Paso
             have had a considerable Hispanic community since their founding and this
             provides a substantial base for the integration of a modern and central
                  In 1996 alone, 1.2 million legal and illegal
             immigrants moved into the United States, primarily into urban regions of
             New York New Jersey, Florida and Illinois, and in urban and rural
             regions of California and Texas (especially in border cities like El Paso...