Two major periods of immigration influx since the turn of the century as well as the transformation of the nation due to 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 at the government and law enforcement level, to meet the needs of these large communities Hispanics. In recent years, a clear dichotomous view has come to the forefront of national debates over the composition of Hispanic communities in border states and conflicts have arisen over the rights of immigrants and citizens, the rights of the U.S. Hispanic community as a whole , the negative correlates. committed to cultural and linguistic differences, and the role of law enforcement officers, both Hispanic and non-Hispanic, in addressing these issues. Views on Immigration Although diverse communities have existed in cities like El Paso, Pecos, and Rio Del for decades, changes in immigration, both legal and illegal, have impacted demographics. from a number of West Texas cities and towns and highlighted divisions between predominantly white (European-American) and predominantly Hispanic communities. The large-scale increase in immigration from Latin American countries to Texas in general has attracted national attention, but it has also been recognized that cities like El Paso have had a considerable Hispanic community since their founding , which constitutes a substantial basis for the integration of a modern and central Hispanic community. In 1996 alone, 1.2 million legal and illegal immigrants settled in the United States, primarily in urban areas of New York, New Jersey, Florida, and Illinois, as well as in urban and rural areas of California and Texas (especially border cities such as El Paso, Peco, Presidio, and Rio Del) (Andrews and Knack, 1997). Of these, 916,000 people were legal arrivals, while more than 275,000 illegal immigrants also immigrated to these same areas (Andrews and Knack, 1997). immigrants and helped defend the activities of border patrol agents that would not be tolerated if enacted against any other population in the United States. REFERENCESAndrews, J. and Knack, R. (1997, September). America's Newest: Immigrants Challenge Communities Across the Country. Planning, v63 n9, pp.4(6).Anonymous (1996, September). The thin beige line: monitoring the border. The Economist, v340 n7982, pp. 25(2). Hamann (1996, April). Fences and patrols cannot stem the tide of enthusiastic Mexicans. National Catholic Reporter, v32 n23, pp. 9(2). Harris, Richard and Firestone, Juanita (August 1997). Ethnicity, family change, and labor force patterns in Texas, 1980-1990. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, v19 n3, pp. 268(13). Holmes, Malcolm (1998, January). Perceptions of abusive policing practices in a U.S.-Mexico border community. The Social Science Journal, v35 n1, pp. 107(12).Light, Julie (1996, September). Rape at the border. The Progressive, v60 n9, pp. 24(1).Spencer, Abraham (1997, March-April). The immigration agenda. MigrationWorld Magazine, v25 n3, pages. 5(1).