It’s an exodus that could really hurt the economy.
The controversial new immigration law in Arizona won’t officially be implemented for a month. But droves of legal and illegal immigrants already are starting to leave the state, hurting local stores and companies.
“It’s basically running us out of business,” Rollie Rankin, an apartment building owner, told The Arizona Republic. Rankin, 62, said the majority of his renters are from Mexico, though he does not inquire about their immigration status.
“People are scared,” he added. “They have had enough of the crackdown. Back in the old days, it was a wink and a nod; there was tacit approval they were here. Now it’s an open attack.”
He said seven families have moved from his apartments in Surprise, Ariz., a fast-growing city with a population of about 90,000, since Gov. Jan Brewer signed the bill in late April.
Full story: Undocumented workers begin to flee AZ ahead of Gov. Jan Brewer’s immigration law, businesses suffer