Georgia immigration law’s effects tough to measure
Some say success of immigration laws are hard to measure

ATLANTA - When Georgia’s immigration law passed in 2006, critics and supporters alike described it as one of the toughest in the country and predicted it would drive illegal immigrants from the state.

Anecdotal evidence suggests they are departing. But whether it’s due to the new law is unclear.

Six months after key provisions of the Georgia Immigration and Compliance Act took effect, even its sponsor says its tough to gauge what the impact has been. And some key opponents now say its bark may have been worse than its bite.

The director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, Jerry Gonzales, said, “I think what we’ve seen is that it was a big scare tactic that really has no teeth.â€