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Anti-Immigrant Laws Are Being Used as a Smoke Screen

By Diego Barahona

American cities that apply restrictive immigration laws have higher rates of poverty and unemployment, concludes the Americas Society report: The Economic Impact of Immigrant-Related Local Ordinances.

It's no mystery that since the beginning of the recession the number one topic on voters’ minds has been job creation. But what happens when politicians fail miserably in reaching this goal? For North Carolina legislator Frank Iler, the answer is simple: create a smoke screen of anti-immigrant laws...

...Three weeks ago, Continental announced that its new plant would not be built in Iler's county after all; it will not even be built in North Carolina. The multi-million dollar investment, which will generate an estimated 1,700 jobs, will be built in South Carolina.

How do you remedy this embarrassing situation? Iler has a strategy: Use controversy as a distraction. The Republican legislator is heading a new committee in the House of Representatives with the goal of drafting anti-immigrant laws...

...This tactic is not new, according to a report by the New York-based The Americas Society, which analyzed 53 cities that imposed local laws to “combat” undocumented immigrants between 2006 and 2008.

The study's conclusion was that these kinds of laws were more common in places with high rates of poverty and unemployment.

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