Arizona immigration bill: Lawyers group to boycott Arizona

Bravo. Everyone should cancel any plans they have that involve Arizona.

RE: Arizona immigration bill: Lawyers group to boycott Arizona

Association has vowed to boycott the state of Arizona, canceling their fall national convention at the Scottsdale Marriott.

The boycott comes hours after Gov. Jan Brewer signed Senate Bill 1070 into law.

"Right after the bill was signed, our board of governors had an emergency meeting and voted on whether or not we would keep the conference in Scottsdale," said former AILA chair Mo Goldman, a Tucson attorney.

The vote to cancel and relocate the convention was nearly unanimous, Goldman said.

The venue's penalty for canceling the event is approximately $92,000, though the association is attempting to mitigate the cost.

"As an association, we couldn't in good conscience spend the association's money in a state that has this kind of policy," Goldman said.

Goldman said AILA views the bill, which would allow officers to request citizenship identification from any person at any time, as unconstitutional.

It is unknown what the final costs of the cancellation will be.