Schools: Immigrant families leaving Arizona because of new immigration law

[pinboy3niner]

Schools: Immigrant families leaving Arizona because of new immigration law


by Pat Kossan - May. 28, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Reports are surfacing around the Valley that illegal-immigrant families with school-age children are fleeing Arizona because of a new immigration law.
<snip>

Teachers and principals at Alhambra elementary schools in west Phoenix, for example, are saying goodbye to core volunteer parents, who tell them that the new migration law threatens their family stability and that they must leave. The district expects the new law to drive out an extra 200 to 300 students over the summer.
<snip>

For every net decline of one student, a school loses an average of $4,404 in state money. The total amount of funding for the 170,000 children of immigrants is about $749 million, or 16 percent, of the state's education budget.
<snip>

Suriano's husband has been in New Mexico for two weeks, looking for an apartment and a job. She is packing up their Phoenix apartment. "He tells me over in New Mexico, it is like here when we first came: There is no fear and they treat you like human beings."


Read More:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2010/05/28/20100528arizona-immigration-law-schools.html


<Ed. to add:>

The intent of the Arizona anti-immigrant law, from its text:

Section 1. Intent

The legislature finds that there is a compelling interest in the cooperative enforcement of federal immigration laws throughout all of Arizona. The legislature declares that the intent of this act is to make attrition through enforcement the public policy of all state and local government agencies in Arizona. The provisions of this act are intended to work together to discourage and deter the unlawful entry and presence of aliens and economic activity by persons unlawfully present in the United States.

http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070h.htm

[customerserviceguy]

1. That's why Arizona passed this law

That $4,404 in money that the school district loses? It all comes out of Arizona taxpayers. That's why the support for this law is so strong there.

[EFerrari]

3. Right. So, what are they going to do when these taxpayers leave?

Brilliant.

[Tailormyst]

6. Yup- every plan to "fix" immigration is just worse then the last.

[customerserviceguy]

16. All I'm saying

is that this story is what those who favor the law want to see happen. If it turns out that they were net taxpayers, then Arizona will suffer for it. If it turns out the other way, or close enough to neutral on the tax/spend thing, then I suspect that those Arizonans who are for this law will feel that it worked.

[Bluebear]

2. 'There is no fear and they treat you like human beings.' - well that's novel.

[emilyg]

9. Made me laugh.

[Lyric]

4. Mission accomplished.

I suspect this was the entire purpose of the law all along--to get as many brown people (including some LEGAL residents who are related to illegals) out of Arizona as possible--and what a SURPRISE, it happens in an election year. They know that they're going to cut the number of legal Latino Democratic voters by passing this law, because some legal residents will leave in support of a family member, and some will leave just to avoid being hunted and persecuted by the cops.

Whatever Dem presence we have in Arizona? After this, it'll be all but gone. Oh well. At least those legal voters who are moving to New Mexico, California, and other states will beef up the Dem presence THERE. Someone needs to start an awareness campaign in the areas where Arizona refugees are concentrating in order to help them get settled and to get those people registered to VOTE.

[EFerrari]

7. 30% of the population of Arizona is not going to leave.

It won't work.

[Lyric]

10. They won't all leave.

But I have no doubt at all that the people who came up with this piece of trash certainly intended for as many of them to leave as possible.

I hope you're right. I hope people don't become discouraged and leave before the courts have a chance to knock this law off the books.

[EFerrari]

11. "They" are mostly American citizens.

That's the embedded cliche. The way Brewer and her nazis talk about Latinos, people begin to think of the whole community as somehow illegitimate.

She's going to wish "they" all were before this is over.

[pinboy3niner]

14. That's an important point

In fact, some of the families described in this and other stories about the effects on AZ schools are leaving the state (or considering leaving) because one parent is undocumented and at risk of being arrested and deported, though the other parent and the children are U.S. citizens.

[pinboy3niner]

8. Intent of the law (from its text:

Section 1. Intent

The legislature finds that there is a compelling interest in the cooperative enforcement of federal immigration laws throughout all of Arizona. The legislature declares that the intent of this act is to make attrition through enforcement the public policy of all state and local government agencies in Arizona. The provisions of this act are intended to work together to discourage and deter the unlawful entry and presence of aliens and economic activity by persons unlawfully present in the United States.

http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070h.htm

[alstephenson]

5. The article is accurate.

Teachers are reporting that about 20-25% of their students have left Arizona - many families left to go to other states and many have gone back to their country of origin. Mixed-status families are being split up. Businesses that cater to Hispanics are empty.

I guess our racist legislators got exactly what they wanted.

[EFerrari]

12. I'm very interested on the turn out this weekend.

Keep us posted if you can. :hi:

[WolverineDG]

13. Buh-bye federal funds based on attendance

buh-bye parent volunteers! I'm sure their new districts in less racist states will appreciate both!

dg

[EFerrari]

15. Bye bye tax base!

The boycott is the least of Arizona's worries at this point.