Lawmakers Warn Arizona Law Disrupts Business With Mexico

Tom Risen
National Journal Online
April 30, 2010

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill and officials in Mexico City are concerned that the new Arizona immigration law ignores the intertwined economies of Mexico and the American Southwest.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., chairman of the Hispanic Caucus Immigration Task Force, and representatives of other minority caucuses have joined to denounce the new Arizona immigration law that he says would disrupt business with Mexico and create "second-class citizens."

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., is also speaking out against the tough new law signed last week by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R). Menendez, who joined Gutierrez and other members of Congress at a press conference Wednesday, said he expects excessive arrests, arguing that by requiring police to check immigration status in cases "where a reasonable suspicion exists that a person is an alien," the law allows police to detain people at will.

"They could be detained for months before their citizenship is determined," Menendez said. "What constitutes 'reasonable suspicion?' Is it the calloused hands of a farm worker?"

The Mexican government denounced the law and issued an advisory on Tuesday warning Mexican citizens not to travel to Arizona for business or tourism. This move was intended not only to protect travelers against wrongful arrest but also to "put the squeeze on Arizona," because Mexico is that state's largest trading partner, said Christopher Sabatini, senior director of policy for the Council of the Americas.

"In the immigration debate, we lose the perception of the extent to which we've become integrated with Mexico," Sabatini said. "People come across the border to the Southwest and spend money all the time, even for a night out. But Mexican immigrants in Arizona are already saying 'what's the point?' They could just move to another state. The effect of losing that low-skilled labor is very powerful as Arizona begins to grow its economy again."

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