Here Come the Outsiders

Out-of-staters fuel fight over Arizona immigration law

Today The Christian Science Monitor featured an article explaining how SB 1070 has drawn many out-of-state people to visit Arizona in support of bill.  Loudres Medrano, the author, uses quite a few examples of people making the trip.  One guy, Timothy Mellon, did not make the trip, but he contributed $1.5 million to help offset the legal fees this bill has caused.  Medrano also considers how Arizonans feel by the out-of-state people by interviewing Marshall Trimble, our state's historian.  Trimble feels it is a mix of outsiders trying to influence the Arizona system, but it is also people coming here because they feel immigration is an American issue.  Tea Party activists have also flocked Arizona to provide support for SB 1070.  Lastly, the article interviews a hotel owner in Phoenix, who says he is just recovering from all the cancelled hotel reservations in boycott of the bill.

I admire that this article takes different approaches on the issue.  When I originally saw the title, I thought it was only going to explain this through an out-of-state person's point-of-view.  I especially thought it was interesting to interview our state historian on the issue.  I believe he was very fair in his approach.  These people may seem as outsiders, but it is important to understand that immigration reform is truly an American issue, not just Arizonan.