Now that the Supreme Court has decided to hear the Arizona immigration case we can suppose they understand how much business likes cheap labor and how much commercial interests love that big supply of low paid immigrants. The law sounds draconian in the summaries I have read and reviewed. Even moderate enforcement of its clauses and conditions will empty the state of unauthorized immigrants. Good by low wages. Hello California.
Arizona’s just the beginning if the Supreme Court lets states decide their own immigration rules which I have to doubt they will, but the mystery for me is to speculate on the politics. Politicians know how much business likes cheap foreign labor, but they also know business avoids announcing their preference in the public media: talk about bad PR. They leave it to politicians to make excuses for them. At least I thought so until the Arizona governor decided to defend the angry electoral block that has to compete with cheap foreign labor.
Maybe the governor has promised to provide some cheap prison labor after the low paid immigrants make their exit? But I just don’t see how she can win election and do what business doesn’t want. Maybe she is counting on the Supreme Court to bail her out?