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Los Angeles Passes Arizona Boycott

By Jason Beahm on May 14, 2010 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Los Angeles has passed an Arizona boycott over its controversial immigration law. The City Council voted 13-1 to end most business with Arizona. The move involves as much as $8 million in contracts with the city. The Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, stated that he will approve the Arizona boycott.


"Los Angeles is the second-largest city in this country, an immigrant city, an international city. It needs to have its voice heard,'' Councilman Ed Reyes said, the Los Angeles Times reported. "As an American, I cannot go to Arizona today without a passport. If I come across an officer who's having a bad day and feels that the picture on my ID is not me, I can be...deported, no questions asked. That is not American.''

The controversial immigration boycott is expected to be signed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Once signed, Los Angeles will stop conducting some business and creating new contracts with Arizona businesses unless that state's immigration law is repealed. The boycott also prohibits most city business trips to the state.

The resolution states that because Los Angeles finds that the Arizona immigration law encourages racial profiling and is likely unconstitutional, the city will refuse to conduct business with Arizona. Lawsuits have already been filed against the state and more are expected. 

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer argues that the Arizona boycott is misguided, because the Arizona immigration law simply mirrors a federal law requiring that legal immigrants carry immigration papers. She does not believe that the law will lead to racial profiling.  "It's already the law in the United States, and I have a responsibility to stand up and protect the people of Arizona and we will do that," Brewer said, Tuesday.

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