Seven weeks before Arizona’s new immigration law goes into effect, Hispanics are leaving the state, reports USA Today. Though no one has precise figures, reports from school officials, businesses and individuals indicate worried Hispanics – both legal and illegal – are leaving the state in anticipation of the law, which will go into effect July 29. Schools in Hispanic areas report unusual drops in enrollment. The Balsz Elementary School District is 75% Hispanic, and within a month of the law’s passage, the parents of 70 students pulled them out of school, citing the law as the reason for leaving.
Businesses serving the Hispanic community say business is down, signaling that illegal immigrants are holding on to cash in anticipation of a move from the state, said David Castillo, co-founder of the Latin Association of Arizona, a chamber of commerce for nearly 400 first-generation Hispanic business owners. He called the situation “devastating.”