It has recently been reported that Mexican undocumented immigration to the United States has reached net zero, that is that amount of people leaving equals the amount of people entering. Heightened border militarization and a shaky economy have forced many immigrants reconsidering life in the U.S. The net zero reality isn't much reflected in the persistent moral panic about immigration. Does the murder of two undocumented immigrants by armed vigilantes in camouflage garb reflect an reasonable American concern about the effects immigration or perceived fear founded on racism?

(flickr: allen ormond)

via Phoenix New Times

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Two illegal immigrants were shot and killed last night near Eloy after being "ambushed" by an unknown number of people in camouflage getup, police say.

According to the Pima County Sheriff's Department, the call came into the Eloy Police Department around 10:30 p.m. yesterday about shots being fired at an "illegal alien smuggling load."

The sheriff's department, along with Eloy police, Coolidge police, and Border Patrol agents, found one person dead in the bed of the pickup truck, and another person was found dead in a nearby wash.

Deputy Dawn Barkman tells New Times there may have been as many as 30 people in the truck when it was fired upon, but police only found a handful of people hiding in some nearby brush as the rest in the truck had booked it.

The witness' description of the shooters: A bunch of people with rifles and camouflage clothing.

It's unknown exactly how many camouflage-clothed people with rifles were shooting at a truck full of illegal immigrants, and Barkman wasn't up for speculating about who exactly is wearing camo and shooting people coming across the border.

Barkman says the camouflage clothing and the rifles were just about the only two things the people relayed about the shooters.

According to police, the truck was going through a wash that's "commonly used for human smuggling," and the occupants of the truck were "ambushed" as the camo/rifle people opened fire on them.

The names of the two victims have not yet been released.