Uproar Continues over Arizona's Immigration Law
For every action in nature there's an opposite reaction. So too in politics. The City of Los Angeles is the latest to react strongly to Arizona's new, toughest-in-the-country anti-illegal immigrant law, reports CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker.
The city council voted 13 to one Wednesday to ban city travel to Arizona, ban future contracts with Arizona businesses and to check whether existing contracts -- totaling $58 million -- can be broken legally.
Councilman Jose Huizar's grandfather helped build L.A. City Hall. He was brought over as a guest worker in the 1920s.
"We had to act swiftly and strongly," Huizar said. "We fear what Arizona did will spread to other states."
A growing number of states and municipalities are boycotting or considering boycotting Arizona, pushing the state to repeal the law.
Highland Park High School in Chicago's suburbs is pulling its champion girls basketball team from a tournament in Arizona, because of the law. Arizona's tourism board estimates it is losing $90 million to boycotts already. The state has become the butt of jokes.
"With my accent, I was worried they were going to deport me back to Austria," said Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Arizona Governor Forms Tourism Task Force
Still a majority of Americans, 59 percent, according to a Pew Poll out this week, support Arizona's law requiring everyone to produce proof of citizenship when asked by police.
In fact, 16 states are considering legislation similar to Arizona's.
State senator Russell Pearce wrote the controversial law.
"Arizona spends $3 billion a year to educate, medicate and incarcerate illegal aliens. It's a serious problem," Pearce said.
And a serious challenge to Arizona's image and pocketbook. But so far, Arizona stands willing to pay the price for its actions.
More Immigration Law Coverage
L.A. Boycotts Arizona over Immigration Law
Selig Ignores Calls to Move Ariz. All-Star Game
New Arizona Law Targets Ethnic Studies
Schwarzenegger: I'd be Deported under Arizona Law
