Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Says An Arizona-Style Law Would Hurt His State

By Elizabeth Llorente

Published May 22, 2011

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says he opposes strict state-level immigration measures because they are "divisive."

The governor of Michigan, where an immigration bill is pending in the legislature, said that such a measure would be detrimental.

Speaking to the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Gov. Rick Snyder said that an immigration law such as the one passed last year in Arizona would "encourage a divisive atmosphere."

The governor, a Republican who was elected to his post in November, on several occasions has said the state, whose economy has been among the hardest-hit in the country, needs immigrants.

The bill introduced in the legislature would get police more involved in checking the immigration status of people they pull over.

Earlier this year, in a talk before a Muslim group, Snyder said Census 2010 data showed a steep decline in Michigan’s population, and therefore the state needed to attract immigrants.

At that talk, Snyder said the state’s diversity – it is home to the nation’s largest Arab and Muslim population and a growing community of Latinos – could attract more businesses to Michigan.

"We need to celebrate diversity; it's one of our strengths,â€