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Border & Immigration

Phoenix Nixed As Border Governors Go To New Mexico

Phoenix Nixed As Border Governors Go To New Mexico
Arizona's controversial immigration law has jettisoned the annual border governors meeting planned for this fall in Phoenix. The governors of states along the U.S.-Mexico border will meet in New Mexico.

Arizona's controversial immigration law has jettisoned the annual border governors meeting planned for this fall in Phoenix. The governors of states along the U.S.-Mexico border will meet in New Mexico.

The governors announced last month they would boycott the 28th annual Border Governors meeting in Phoenix to protest Arizona's immigration law. In response, Arizona's Governor Jan Brewer canceled the event.

Arizona's law gives local police broad authority to question people they stop about their immigration status.

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Baja California Governor Jose Guadalupe Osuna Millan and his counterparts in Mexican border states say the law is based on ethnic and cultural prejudices that contradict fundamental rights.

Some years, the border governors' meetings are largely symbolic shows of cross-border collaboration. Other years, real work gets done.

In 2008, the governors agreed to work together to decrease border waits and tackle gun smuggling.