St. Paul Mayor Boycotts Travel to Arizona

ST. PAUL, Minn. - St. Paul, Minn. Mayor Chris Coleman is ordering city departments to no longer travel to conferences in the state of Arizona.

Coleman issued the Arizona travel boycott Wednesday in response to the signing of SB1070 by Gov. Jan Brewer , giving state and local police the power to stop people suspected of being illegal immigrants.

The measure would require proof of legal status and make it a crime to be in the state without documentation. Brewer, a Republican, said that despite the controversy surrounding the state’s toughest piece of legislation against illegal immigration, it was in the best interest of the state.

"This law sets a dangerous example for the rest of the country," Mayor Coleman said. "It will create a culture where racial profiling is acceptable, and will create a dangerous wedge between police officers and the communities they serve. We've seen what can be done through partnering with immigrant communities and its effects on issues such as domestic violence rates, violent crime, and overall community safety."

Gov. Brewer said during a press conference Friday she will not tolerate racial profiling.

The fight over Senate Bill 1070 took to the streets of downtown Phoenix on Friday, as riot police were called to the State Capitol to control an unruly group of protesters.

Coleman said he would write to the chairmen of both the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee to encourage them to not choose Phoenix for national conventions in 2012.

"It would be immoral to not stand up in the face of a piece of legislation that is rooted in hate and fear," Coleman said. "We are a country of immigrants - and SB 1070 is an affront to our constitution and the values we hold dear as Americans. It's not worthy of who we are as a people - and its certainly not worthy of the investment of any city dollars being spent in Arizona."

Coleman, who is of Irish descent, said he "can't imagine what it would have been like for my grandmother had they passed a similar anti-Irish law."

"Today I choose to stand with the millions of immigrants in our city and across the country who should have access to the same level of safety and opportunity as everyone else," he said.