Some immigrants leaving Arizona in face of employer sanctions law

April 14, 2008 - 4:51PM

BY LEAH DURAN, CRONKITE NEWS SERVICE

AVONDALE, Ariz. - In the corner of a living room in a small house that he rents in this Phoenix suburb, Juan Carlos has piled six black garbage bags stuffed with clothes and housewares along with an old vacuum cleaner.

Juan Carlos, 50, said he will donate some of his possessions to a local church and send others to family in Mexico.

Unable to afford a moving truck and unsure of his future in Arizona, Juan Carlos is preparing to leave behind his wife and daughter, both undocumented immigrants, for a new state and a new life. Juan Carlos, who has a worker visa, declined to give his last name to protect the anonymity of his wife and daughter, who are in Arizona illegally.

"My plan is to go to Utah because I see a lot of problems here," said Juan Carlos, who has put his house on the market.

When he moved to Arizona with his family more than two years ago, it seemed like the perfect place to live. He found work as a golf course irrigator, and his wife landed a job at the local supermarket. His daughter formed close friendships at a local church.

Yet, increasing hostility towards undocumented immigrants and the fear of repercussions from Arizona's new employer-sanctions law has motivated Juan Carlos to seek a livelihood elsewhere.

"Our friends are leaving because they don't want to go to jail or wait for the new law" to be implemented, he said.