Ga. Latino advocacy groups oppose boycott efforts

ATLANTA - Though fiercely opposed to Georgia's new immigration law, a group of immigration advocates say they do not support an economic boycott of the state.

They include Latinos In Information Sciences & Technology Association (LISTA) and the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, and the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO).

Jerry Gonzalez, Executive Director of GALEO, said "HB87 is deeply flawed legislation that will be challenged in the federal court system. Absent a federal injunction, our groups will work to ensure Latino and immigrant civil rights are protected in our state should HB87 be fully implemented in our state."

Gonzalez went on to says "Georgia is our home and we do want our state to progress and develop. HB87 will make our efforts much more difficult, but as good-hearted Georgians, we will stand together to make Georgia a better place for all of us, including Latinos and immigrants."

Georgia is home to almost 900,000 Latinos and thousands of immigrants.

"It is where we live, work, and play," Gonzalez said. "A boycott would devastate Georgia's tourism and convention industry. Many Latinos and immigrants depend on this, and other industries, for their livelihood."

Nevertheless, he said, there is certainly much fear and anxiety within the immigrant community over the legislation.

"However, the intention of HB87 was also to spread fear in order to drive immigrants away from Georgia. We ask our community members to reject that fear and to remain informed and educated about the pending legal process. Recognizing that similar laws in both Arizona and Utah were stopped from implementation by federal courts, we expect a similar outcome when HB87 is finally reviewed by our federal courts. We call upon our immigrant community to remain in our state and help us work towards a more inclusive Georgia."

Gonzalez said that, in the short term, the measure will be detrimental to Georgia's economy and reputation but will not solve the problem of illegal immigration in the state.