Thread: Executives talk with senators from Mexico about AZ. law

Executives talk with senators from Mexico about Arizona's immigration law

Ryan Randazzo and Daniel González -
May. 26, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Eight Mexican senators took a fact-finding trip to Arizona concerning the state's new immigration law and met Tuesday with invited business officials who mostly oppose the law, according to those at the meeting.

The law doesn't take effect until July 29, but Sen. Silvano Aureoles of the central state of Michoacan, said it is already spreading fear among Mexicans that they could be stopped by police based on their appearance and then arrested.

"The effects are bigger than I thought," Aureoles said. "There is a lot of fear and concern."

The new law makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally. It states that an officer engaged in a lawful stop, detention or arrest shall, when practicable, ask about a person's legal status when reasonable suspicion exists that the person is in the U.S. illegally.

Aureoles said there have been a lot of calls for Mexico to support a boycott of Arizona, but Aureoles said government officials are not considering economic sanctions.

He said Mexican officials are preparing in case the law drives large numbers of Mexicans living in Arizona back to Mexico.

The senators attending the meeting are from eight Mexican states, including Baja California, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Sonora and Coahuila.

While in Phoenix, the senators also met with state Attorney General Terry Goddard and interim Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley, Aureoles said.

Some businesspeople at the meeting said they discussed how to show their dislike of the measure without causing more economic harm from the fallout.

"The senators really came to hear what we had to say," said Gregg Ostro, president/CEO of Go Media Inc. in Phoenix. "Every one of them had a constructive attitude and recognized the relationship between Mexico, Sonora and Arizona."

Ostro said the senators wanted to hear whether business officials thought a boycott was appropriate, but the attendees said such action would not be productive.

"My sense was that they weren't walking out thinking a boycott was the best thing," Ostro said.

The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry has remained neutral on the law, although officials from the agency helped edit out some portions of the bill early on that would have affected businesses, Communications Director Garrick Taylor said.

Chamber President Glenn Hamer didn't change his neutral position on the bill after the meeting, Taylor said.

"He walked away with the belief that the solution here is to get the federal government to act in a way that meets our border-security needs and labor needs," Taylor said.

James Garcia, communications director for the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said most at the meeting did not support the law.

"It did seem to be the consensus that the passage of this bill, bluntly put, was a really stupid idea," Garcia said. "Arizona's leadership, including the business community, understands that this bill is indicative of a direction the state is moving that most Arizonans do not support.

"I'm not talking about poll results about SB 1070 (the immigration law). I'm talking about a whole plethora of legislation."

Officials at the meeting also discussed promoting the economic benefits of cheap immigrant labor, said Lisa Urias, president of Urias Communications advertising and public relations in Scottsdale and a member of the Arizona Latino Research Enterprise.

"In Arizona, we really do need to start discussing the economic value that immigrant laborers have," she said.

"From the food we eat to the tourism and hotel industry, the buildings we are living in, so many of those business models are built around immigrant labor."

http://www.azcentral.com/business/artic ... tives.html

If their business models are that dependent on using Mexican labor they should be investing in Mexico instead of making the Arizona general public pay for their employees education and health care.

Why is Arizona allowing these Mexican senators to come to their state to do anything at all as far as trying to undermine the new law as well as the governor? Where are the residents that support the law and the governor? Why aren't they out in the streets telling Mexico to butt out!??

Aureoles said there have been a lot of calls for Mexico to support a boycott of Arizona, but Aureoles said government officials are not considering economic sanctions



And with good reason.......what possible sanctions could Mexico place upon us anyway?

For sanctions to be effective, the imposing country has to actually have something we want and need, something to offer.

Mexico doesn't quite fit the bill.........

Also, we need to get on the phones, emails, and faxes to AZ reps at all levels and demand that they start raising all kinds of hell about officials of a foreign government coming into this country.....with no official permission or invite to be here.....for the sole purpose of intending to interfere in our affairs.

Originally Posted by azwreath

Aureoles said there have been a lot of calls for Mexico to support a boycott of Arizona, but Aureoles said government officials are not considering economic sanctions



And with good reason.......what possible sanctions could Mexico place upon us anyway?

For sanctions to be effective, the imposing country has to actually have something we want and need, something to offer.

Mexico doesn't quite fit the bill.........

We buy electricity, oil, and natural gas from Mexico.

Trade
The United States was the destination for about 80% of Mexico’s exports in 2009. Top Mexican exports to the U.S. include petroleum, cars, and electronic equipment.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35749.htm

Bottom line: what's causing this hysteria against the Arizona law is that they're afraid we'll actually start enforcing our immigration laws, which would ultimately end illegal immigration.

Originally Posted by Populist

Bottom line: what's causing this hysteria against the Arizona law is that they're afraid we'll actually start enforcing our immigration laws, which would ultimately end illegal immigration.

and send alot of mexicans back south of the border. a country that does not want them there because it will take away money sent back to mexico in the form of remitances

Originally Posted by Richard

If their business models are that dependent on using Mexican labor they should be investing in Mexico instead of making the Arizona general public pay for their employees education and health care.

I agree, those turncoats should have been asking the Mexican Senators for Mexican investor visas during the the meeting.

Originally Posted by jamesw62

Originally Posted by Populist

Bottom line: what's causing this hysteria against the Arizona law is that they're afraid we'll actually start enforcing our immigration laws, which would ultimately end illegal immigration.

and send alot of mexicans back south of the border. a country that does not want them there because it will take away money sent back to mexico in the form of remitances

Not just the remittances. Illegals have gotten used to all the free benefits they get in the U.S. and will likely expect the Mexican government to do the same for them. I've read articles where the state of Sonoma is complaining that they don't have enough jobs and space in schools to absorb returning illegals.

I thought it was interesting that they said they are preparing for a influx of returning citizens.

Obviously, the law is going to work.