By Daniel González
The Arizona Republic
A bipartisan group of prominent community leaders has proposed a four-point immigration plan they hope members of Arizona’s congressional delegation will use as a blueprint for fixing the nation’s broken immigration system.
The plan is intended to recast Arizona’s reputation as a leader of enforcement-only measures such as Senate Bill 1070 that seek to drive illegal immigrants out of the state.
Such a narrow approach has created the impression that Arizona is an intolerant state and as a result has hurt the state’s economy by driving away tourists, conventions and business development.
“What we hope to do through leadership organizations, through individuals throughout the state and through our own elected leaders is to mitigate the damage that has been done to our state,” said Denise Resnick, co-founder of The Real Arizona Coalition, which is made up of more than 40 businesses groups, religious organizations, and minority and immigrant advocacy groups.
