Adios, illegals – and don’t let the puerta hit you on the way out.
A number of Hispanic folks are running scared, hightailing it out Arizona even before the controversial SB 1070 law goes into effect July 29, according to a recent report in the Detroit Free Press.
We surmise those who are fleeing are here illegally, as American citizens and others who are here legally have nothing to worry about.
That means the measure is working already.
For the two or three people who have not yet heard about Arizona’s new law, SB 1070 requires local police to ask about a person’s immigration status, provided the person is stopped, detained or arrested for other reasons and the officer has “reasonable suspicion” that the individual may be here illegally.
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the measure into law April 23.
“Though no one has precise figures, reports from school officials, businesses and individuals indicate worried Hispanics are leaving Arizona in anticipation of the law,” the Free Press says.
Hispanic-area schools report an “unusual drop in enrollment,” the article notes, and businesses that cater to the Hispanic community say business is down “signaling that illegal immigrants are holding on to cash in anticipation of a move.”
As mentioned in a previous post, I’m on the fence about the law. It has its potential problems – all of which have been discussed ad nauseam for the past few months.
But if SB 1070 is already getting rid of illegals before it even goes into effect – saving local police the extra workload such a measure would surely incur – the thing has to have some merit.
OK, we don’t know for sure if the threat of SB 1070 is behind the mini-exodus. Perhaps there are other reasons and the timing is just a huge coincidence.
Another such coincidence went down in 2007, the Free Press reminds us, when the Department of Homeland Security says as many as 100,000 illegal entrants fled Arizona around the time a law increased penalties for businesses that hired illegals.
Some may argue that illegal entrants leaving Arizona is a bad thing.
But those folks probably live in New Mexico, Texas or California.
[tnipoll]
What do you think?
Even if you don’t agree with the new law, are you pleased with the mini-exodus?
Is there any reason illegal entrants leaving Arizona would be detrimental? Please explain.
