Almost two weeks after Gov. Nathan Deal signed a controversial crackdown on
illegal immigrants, threats of boycotts have yet to materialize.
Civil rights groups and lawmakers who opposed the immigration law, House
Bill 87, predicted that corporations, consumers and convention-goers would
spurn Georgia because of the backwards image it created.
Arizona lost $217 million in convention business when it enacted a
similar law last year, according to the Center for American Progress, a
centrist think tank in Washington, D.C.
So far, though, dire economic forecasts for Georgia have been mere sound
and fury.
"I haven't heard about any boycotts at all," said state Sen. Bill
Cowsert, R-Athens. "I had heard the threats, but not so much locally."
No one has canceled any conventions over the law in Athens, where tourism
is a $200 million-a-year industry, local officials said.
"I honestly wondered about that, just because there's a lot of talk about
it right now," said Chuck Jones, executive director of the Athens Convention &
Visitors Bureau. "I have yet to hear anyone bring it up or question it."
Nor has Matt Forshee, CEO of the Athens-Clarke Economic Development
Foundation and the county's chief industry recruiter.
"I have not heard that comment with the projects I'm working on," Forshee
said.
Most of the conventions and trade shows at the Classic Center are put on
by Georgia organizations that are required to hold them in-state, Classic
Center Executive Director Paul Cramer said. A boycott would be more likely to
hurt Atlanta and Savannah, cities that draw larger regional and national
conventions, he said.
The Atlanta CVB opposed the law out of concern that a boycott could hurt
the city's convention business.
The U.S. Human Rights Network announced earlier this month that it would
not hold its 600-person biannual convention in Atlanta this year.
But the Atlanta-based nonprofit had not actually booked any space, and no
other groups have canceled plans to hold events in Atlanta since, Atlanta CVB
spokeswoman Lauren Jarrell said.
Gov. Nathan Deal, who pledged on the campaign trail last year to enact an
Arizona-style immigration law, signed HB 87 on May 11.
It requires most employers to check whether new hires are eligible to
work in the United States and empowers local law enforcement agencies to ask
suspects about their immigration status.
State Rep. Keith Heard, D-Athens, was among those who voted against the
law, in part because he feared the state would appear anti-Hispanic to the
national and international business communities.
"What kind of signal are we sending?" he said.
The bill drew protests, especially from civil rights groups, students and
farmers who use migrant workers to harvest row crops.
Somos Georgia, a Hispanic advocacy group, called for a boycott of
conventions, conferences, entertainment, sporting events, vacations and
business travel to Georgia unless Deal vetoed HB 87. Somos Georgia did not
return a call seeking comment, but argues on its website that the law would
split up families, and residents who were brought to Georgia as children and
lived here most of their lives would be unfairly deported.
"We are calling on all businesses, conventions and conferences to cancel
your trips to the state of Georgia and pledge to not spend one dollar here
until this law is repealed," Paulina Hernandez of an affiliated group,
Southerners on New Ground, said in a news release. "We are also putting the
nation on alert that there may be soon a Georgia products boycott as well --
so stay alert and be prepared to stay away from businesses such as Home Depot,
Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines and AFLAC Insurance."
Reaction to the law also split the Hispanic community. The Georgia
Association of Latino Elected Officials rejected calls for a boycott on
Friday.
GALEO remains opposed to the law, but a boycott would be
counterproductive, Executive Director Jerry Gonzalez said.
"A boycott would devastate Georgia's tourism and convention industry," he
said. "Many Latinos and immigrants depend on this, and other industries, for
their livelihood."
However, Gonzalez still predicted pain for the state's economy as a
result of the law.
"I would expect so, considering the heightened concern we've heard," he
said.
Cowsert had no qualms about the economic impact when he voted in favor of
the law, he said.
"The potential loss of revenue would be minuscule compared to the cost of
education, health care, prisons, the corrections system for 400,000-plus
illegal immigrants in this state," he said.
