Support for Arizona Anti-Immigration Measure Declines
Feature Story by Ian Slattery - 9/15/2004
A diverse, bipartisan coalition of organizations and individuals has launched a massive voter mobilization campaign in Arizona to defeat Proposition 200, a controversial state initiative that will be on the November ballot, as support for the initiative showed a 10-point decline during the month of August.The ballot measure, the so-called, "Arizona Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act," aims to eliminate the provision of government services to undocumented immigrants other than those programs and services currently mandated by federal law.
Supporters claim that the initiative will save taxpayers millions of dollars currently spent to provide services to undocumented immigrants, while opponents argue that the new law would incur huge costs to state and local governments in implementation and enforcement.
The Coalition to Defeat Proposition 200 is made up of community organizations representing labor, health care, education, faith, human rights, public safety, and public employees, including the NAACP, ACLU, National Organization of Women, National Council of La Raza, and the League of Women Voters.
More than 45 elected officials oppose the initiative, including Arizona's entire Congressional delegation and the chairs of both the Democratic and Republican parties.
Proposition 200 would require voters to present identification proving their citizenship when registering to vote or casting their ballot on Election Day.
Opponents counter that voter fraud by undocumented immigrants is "nonexistent" and warn that the new restrictions would only weaken voter participation in Arizona, a state that faces federally mandated oversight for its history of widespread voter disenfranchisement.
"There has not been a single case of voter fraud in Arizona committed by an undocumented immigrant," explains Alexis Mazón, a spokesperson for the Coalition to Defeat Proposition 200. "All the state's county recorder offices have confirmed this."
Proposition 200 would also require public employees to report any individual they suspect of being undocumented. Under the proposed changes, failure to report such individuals would be classified a Class 2 Misdemeanor, punishable by up to four months in jail and a fine.
While early polling data showed significant support for the measure among voters, public backing has dropped considerably as opponents have educated Arizonans about the harmful impact of the initiative.
In a further setback for the initiative's supporters, controversy erupted in August when it was revealed that Virginia Abernethy, chair of the national advisory board for Protect Arizona Now – a group campaigning in support of Proposition 200 – maintains close ties with a white supremacist organization.
The Center for New Community recently released a report detailing Abernethy's involvement with the Council of Conservative Citizens, an organization resurrected from the now defunct White Citizens' Councils – segregationist community groups that sprung up throughout the South to resist integration in the wake of the 1954 landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision.
The initiative is set to appear on the ballot on November 2. Last month, an Arizona court ruled against two legal challenges to the initiative brought by the Service Employees International Union.
Many believe that the battle over Proposition 200 could have a critical impact on the presidential race in Arizona, a swing state in the upcoming elections.
For a complete list of organizations and individuals opposed to Proposition 200, along with more information, resources, and opportunities to get involved in the campaign, visit www.defeat200.org.
