Arizona's immigration strategy: Make life tough

[Chris]

"When you make life difficult," said state Sen. Russell Pearce, author of the current bill and earlier hard-line measures, "most will leave on their own."

There is evidence that is true. The number of illegal immigrants in Arizona dropped 18% between 2008 and 2009, the largest decrease in the nation, according to federal estimates.

In 2007, the state passed first-in-the-nation penalties for employers who don't ensure their workers are in the country legally. The law led many illegal workers to conclude that they could never find steady jobs in Arizona.

Last year, the state made it a crime for state workers to give illegal immigrants unauthorized benefits, which scared many from applying for government assistance they are allowed.

Critics say the state's approach to combating illegal immigration doesn't work and only stigmatizes Latinos, legal and illegal.

The drop in illegal immigrants, they argue, is largely due to Arizona's cratering economy, which has racked up losses in immigrant-heavy trades faster than most other states.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-arizona-immigration15-2010apr15,0,5463716.story

[Godot showed up]

San Francisco is calling for a boycott of AZ--guess I know where my next vacation will be! I was going to take a cheap "staycation" next time, but what the hell, you only live once. I'm thinking of Lake Havasu City (and the lake itself, of course). Looks amazing.

We'll just see who has the real economic power here. That POS Campos should have been deported himself.

[NHSparky]

San Francisco is calling for a boycott of AZ--guess I know where my next vacation will be! I was going to take a cheap "staycation" next time, but what the hell, you only live once. I'm thinking of Lake Havasu City (and the lake itself, of course). Looks amazing.

We'll just see who has the real economic power here. That POS Campos should have been deported himself.

It's pretty much meaningless.  There are no gay mecca resorts in AZ.  Sand hurts, dontcha know.

[The Village Idiot]

  There are no gay mecca resorts in AZ. 

The Nava-ho Nation should get right on that. Might be profitable. heh

[camaraderie]

Check this article out:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2622137920100427?type=marketsNews

Totally biased but it proves the law works! :D

"Since the law says that people hiring undocumented day laborers will get fined, no one wants to (hire) us," said Aguilar, who early on Monday was among some two dozen migrants touting for landscaping and building work at a day labor site in north Phoenix.
"We are thinking of going to Utah or New Mexico ... Here it is just too racist," he added."

LOL!!

[seabelle]

My family left SoCal in the 70's, well, because the immigration strategy wasn't working then.

Looks like it's still not working now 

[littlelamb]

They need to go to their own country then they don't have to worry about it

[BEG]

San Francisco is calling for a boycott of AZ--guess I know where my next vacation will be! I was going to take a cheap "staycation" next time, but what the hell, you only live once. I'm thinking of Lake Havasu City (and the lake itself, of course). Looks amazing.

We'll just see who has the real economic power here. That POS Campos should have been deported himself.

I used to live in Lake Havasu City (early 90's), don't know what it's like to visit but it's not such a fun place to live.  The lake is fun but you get sick of tourists.

[Godot showed up]

I used to live in Lake Havasu City (early 90's), don't know what it's like to visit but it's not such a fun place to live.  The lake is fun but you get sick of tourists.

Ah...I was taken in by the gorgeous scenery I saw on the 'net. As a once-Arizonan, BEG, is there another spot in the state that you could suggest as a good place to call "home base" for a vacation? I like desert country--as long as there's a pool not too far away.

[Godot showed up]

Check this article out:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2622137920100427?type=marketsNews

Totally biased but it proves the law works! :D

"Since the law says that people hiring undocumented day laborers will get fined, no one wants to (hire) us," said Aguilar, who early on Monday was among some two dozen migrants touting for landscaping and building work at a day labor site in north Phoenix.
"We are thinking of going to Utah or New Mexico ... Here it is just too racist," he added."

LOL!!

Hey, Aguilar, how about going to OLD Mexico--you know, your own country, the country you're actually a citizen OF?

[The Village Idiot]

did you know its a felony for foreigners in Mexico to engage in political protests or political anything?

[Ptarmigan]

did you know its a felony for foreigners in Mexico to engage in political protests or political anything?

Mexico is a very aristocratic nation stuck in the 16th century.