Local law makers across the country are voicing opposition to Arizona’s harsh immigrant enforcement law. State, city and county elected officials from coast to coast have proposed or adopted at minimum 60 measures in opposition to the Arizona law that call for a boycott of Arizona, prohibit travel to the state and call on Congress and President Obama to enact comprehensive immigration reform that preempts state law. At least half of these measures have passed.

The New York state legislature passed a resolution denouncing the Arizona law. The Los Angeles city council and county board passed resolutions in support of a boycott of Arizona. The council resolutions considers up to $56 million in Arizona-related investments the city could boycott. Chicago, IL and Philadelphia, PA city councils also adopted resolutions to boycott Arizona. The Navajo Nation Council, the country’s largest American Indian reservation, passed a resolution condemning the Arizona law.

The US. Conference of Mayors adopted two resolutions and mayors in San Francisco, Boulder, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Columbus issued travel bans.

The number of efforts in opposition to the Arizona law dwarfs the 22 states that are reported to have proposed or considering copycat bills. Several of the copycats are predicted to be unlikely to pass even by their authors and anti-immigrant groups.

For example, Representative Kim Meltzer, a first term Republican in Michigan who is running for a state senate seat, introduced a bill similar to Arizona SB 1070. It was reported that she is aware that the chances of her bill passing are unlikely and that other immigration legislation she proposed has not made it out of committee. Also, In North Carolina, anti-immigrant groups concede that copycat legislation has a very low chance of passing in their state.

Furthermore, of the four state copycats that were introduced this session, three failed to be heard in committee before the sessions adjourned for the year.

The lack of action from Washington on immigration reform has allowed Arizona’s new law to become reality. Patchwork measures by states cannot begin to address the nation’s immigration system. Only a federal solution will succeed in its true overhaul. Many local law makers recognize this and continue in growing numbers to condemn the Arizona law.

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