Phoenix mayor says SB1070 hurts public safety, education

Published March 28, 2011

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon

Tucson – State laws like Arizona's SB1070, which aims to criminalize undocumented immigrants, not only has a negative effect on the economy, but also on public safety and education, said Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon.

He said the state continues suffering the effects of the economic boycott launched after the enactment of SB1070 last year and that it continues to be reflected in the canceling of conventions and seminars.

"These cancellations affect the businesses of Hispanics and non-Hispanics alike," Gordon said after a speech at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

According to an analysis by the Washington-based Center for American Progress, the boycott has cost Arizona more than $140 million.

The Democrat, one of the first politicians to come out against the controversial law, said the legislation has caused a great lack of confidence in the police.

An immigrants' rights supporter protests in front of the Capitol Police at the State Capitol in Phoenix Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Jack Kurtz)

"Laws like SB1070 do not make our communities safer," the mayor said Thursday on the UA campus.

"I believe that immigrants, especially Hispanics, are afraid to report the criminals in their neighborhoods because they fear being arrested and questioned about their immigration status," Gordon, an outspoken critic of the migrant sweeps carried out by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, said.

The mayor said that critics of illegal immigration constantly talk about how much it "costs" the state to provide public services and education for the undocumented, but forget about how much they pay in taxes.

The economic effect of SB1070 is seen in all the housing sitting empty for months, and how the domino effect is also harming businesses both big and small that have lost customers and clients.

Gordon believes that one of the biggest problems currently facing Arizona is its image, since certain companies simply stay away from the state rather than get involved in such controversial issues as immigration.

The mayor said that the failure of the federal government to approve a comprehensive immigration reform has particularly affected undocumented students.

He said that some of the most outstanding students in the fields of mathematics and engineering at Arizona State University in Phoenix are undocumented immigrants.

"I believe it is urgent for the DREAM Act to be passed - if immigration reform cannot be achieved, I believe that at least legal immigration status should be approved for such outstanding young people who only want to contribute to our society," he said.

Arizona has a state law that obliges undocumented students attending community colleges and public universities to pay tuition at the rate for foreign students.

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