Thread: Leading opponents of Georgia's new immigration law say 'No'

Leading opponents of Georgia's new immigration law say 'No' to boycott

May 20, 2011

Atlanta, Ga -- One of the leading opponents of Georgia's tough, new crackdown on illegal immigrants announced Friday he will not join other opponents in calling for a boycott of Georgia.

Jerry Gonzalez, Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, said GALEO and two other groups based in Georgia will focus, instead, on going to the courts to try to overturn the law.

The fledgling boycott is aimed at trying to cripple the state's convention and tourism industries, as a way of convincing Georgia legislators to abolish the crackdown that they approved earlier this year.

"Many immigrants rely upon the tourism and convention business for their livelihood," Gonzalez told 11Alive's Jon Shirek Friday, "so we think that this boycott would bring further harm to Georgia.... The bottom line is, Georgia's our home. And we want the prosperous Georgia."

Others in Georgia and across the country continue to call on businesses and corporations and individuals to boycott Georgia, in protest. One of those groups is "Southerners on New Ground" (S.O.N.G.). A message on its website, describing the group's opposition to Gov. Nathan Deal signing the legislation into law, says, "We are calling on all businesses, conventions and conferences to cancel your trips to the State of Georgia and pledge not to spend one dollar here until this law is repealed."

Paulina Hernandez of S.O.N.G. was travelling Friday and did not return a message from 11Alive News asking for a comment on Gonzalez's decision to reject a boycott.

Gov. Deal said at the bill signing May 13 that he's not worried about any boycotts because, he said, they would cost the state far less than what illegal immigrants have been costing the state.

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Gonzalez's statement:

"On behalf of GALEO, Latinos In Information Sciences & Technology Association (LISTA) and the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, we would like to say that we do not support the call for a boycott of our state nor do we support the calls for a boycott of certain Georgia businesses.

HB87 is deeply flawed legislation that will be challenged in the federal court system. Absent a federal injunction, our groups will work to ensure Latino and immigrant civil rights are protected in our state should HB87 be fully implemented in our state.

However, Georgia is our home and we do want our state to progress and develop. HB87 will make our efforts much more difficult, but as good-hearted Georgians, we will stand together to make Georgia a better place for all of us, including Latinos and immigrants. Georgia is home to almost 900,000 Latinos and thousands of immigrants; it is where we live, work, and play. A boycott would devastate Georgia's tourism and convention industry. Many Latinos and immigrants depend on this, and other industries, for their livelihood.

Certainly, there is much fear and anxiety within the immigrant community. However, the intention of HB87 was also to spread fear in order to drive immigrants away from Georgia. We ask our community members to reject that fear and to remain informed and educated about the pending legal process. Recognizing that similar laws in both Arizona and Utah were stopped from implementation by federal courts, we expect a similar outcome when HB87 is finally reviewed by our federal courts. We call upon our immigrant community to remain in our state and help us work towards a more inclusive Georgia.

The passage of HB 87 is irresponsible and shameful. In the short term, HB 87 will be detrimental to Georgia's economy and reputation. Furthermore, HB87 will not solve the problem of illegal immigration in Georgia. Our work to forge a better Georgia continues and we will continue to urge our Congressional leaders to work with President Obama on a real solution to our broken immigration system. A solution that protects our economy, reflects our American values, values the significant contributions that immigrants make to our economy, helps Georgia's agricultural industry prosper, and enhances Georgia's competitiveness in a global market.

For these reasons, we do not support the call for a boycott of our state nor do we support the calls for a boycott of certain Georgia businesses."

www.11alive.com

Gov. Deal said at the bill signing May 13 that he's not worried about any boycotts because, he said, they would cost the state far less than what illegal immigrants have been costing the state.

How refreshing -- an honest, non-PC, non-pandering politician. Wonder if Gov Deal has ever considered running for President.

Every govenor of every state should listen to Georgia's govenor. Illegals are costing the states far more than they are helping. Is hig time every state takes up the fight. Make it impossable for an illegal to live here without being arrested. Cut off all their jobs and financial aid including medical and education. NO SOCIAL SERVICES, NO JOBS, NO AMNESTY, NO DREAM ACTS.

"I love Georgia!" If Obama tries to sue Georgia he is going to run into a wall of Americans!

Originally Posted by stevetheroofer

"I love Georgia!" If Obama tries to sue Georgia he is going to run into a wall of Americans!

Obama won't try to sue Arizona because the Democrats won't let him. The Arizona suit was a stab by the Feds to assert their authority over the state and they got burned by the backlash. However, IMO, Georgia would be a bridge too far. Obama and his cronies such as Valerie Jarrett, have seriously fallen out of favor in the Democratic ranks.