Arizona’s new immigration law breaking families apart?
Reported by: Rebecca Thomas
Email: rebecca.thomas@abc15.com
Last Update: 7:35 pm

Arizona's new immigration law breaking families apart?


PHOENIX -- Arizona's new immigration law is just another reason why some undocumented immigrants say they plan to leave our state.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Arizona's undocumented immigrant population dropped by more than 90,000 people between 2007 and 2009.

Officials credit both a down economy and illegal immigration crackdowns.

Those include the employer sanctions law and crime sweeps by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

A spokesperson with the Mexican Consulate's office in Phoenix says they should know after Monday, whether Governor Brewer's signing of SB 1070 has resulted in a spike of undocumented immigrants requesting to return to Mexico from Arizona.

Alexis Herrera, 15, is one of dozens of protesters who continue to protest the new law at the state Capitol -- saying it will break families apart.

She is a U.S. citizen. Her parents are not.

Herrera says last week her mom, step-dad and baby brother returned to Mexico, ahead of SB 1070 being signed into law.

"They were scared, obviously, to get locked up," she said.

Herrera and another brother remain in Phoenix under the care of their aunt.

Even legal residents are having second thoughts about staying in Arizona, if the new law survives legal challenges and goes into effect this summer.

Aureleo Ramos and his wife are legal residents and have lived in Phoenix for 19 years.

Their three children are U.S. citizens.

But they say they're thinking about moving to another state, because as Hispanics, they don't feel welcome in Arizona.

Many supporters of the new law say they don't have anything against immigrants who are here legally.

"We must stop the Mexican people from dying in the deserts," said Kathryn Kobor, a Phoenix resident who was at the state Capitol Monday in support of SB 1070. "We must stop our law enforcement, our ranchers and our citizens from being killed by some corrupt illegal aliens."


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