Tourism is one of the biggest sources of income for Arizona. The Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association has reported at least 23 meetings had been cancelled throughout the state, representing an estimated $6 million to $10 million in lost revenue. A Phoenix deputy city manager said fallout from the immigration law could cost the city about $90 million over the next five years. In response, Brewer last week formed a task force to prepare a marketing strategy to deal with public criticism of the law.
Though there are numerous boycotts of the state, it appears that the public supports the new Arizona law, according to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Fully 73% say they approve of requiring people to produce documents verifying their legal status if police ask for them, 67% approve of allowing police to detain anyone who cannot verify their legal status, and 62% approve of allowing police to question people they think may be in the country illegally.
President Barack Obama has called the law “misguided,” but realizes that reform would be difficult to achieve and would require bipartisan support – something sorely missing in the Senate.