Georgia immigration law's effects tough to measure

ATLANTA - When Georgia's immigration law passed in 2006, critics and supporters alike described it as one of the toughest in the country and predicted it would drive illegal immigrants from the state.

Anecdotal evidence suggests they are departing. But whether it's due to the new law is unclear.

Six months after key provisions of the Georgia Immigration and Compliance Act took effect, even its sponsor says its tough to gauge what the impact has been. And some key opponents now say its bark may have been worse than its bite.

The director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, Jerry Gonzales, said, ``I think what we've seen is that it was a big scare tactic that really has no teeth.''

Others insist that's not so.

D.A. King is head of the Dustin Inman Society which pushes for tougher laws to combat illegal immigration.

King said, ``Enforcement works. People are leaving Georgia for more hospitable states and this law has an awful lot to do with that.''

Georgia is believed to have the fastest growing illegal immigrant population in the nation, recently estimated at 470,000 according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Precise population numbers are difficult to track. But advocates who work with the community say businesses that cater to Hispanics have seen a notable decline in business. Traffic in communities where immigrants live is lighter. And word on the street is that many have left.

Ralph Perales of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce says the immigration law isn't the only cause for the exodus.

The severe drought that has gripped the Southeast has dried up landscaping and agriculture businesses. The housing slump has put a damper on the construction industry. Perales said such industries have traditionally been friendly to immigrants.

Dire warnings that the new law would create a shortage of low-wage workers that would cripple the state's economy haven't materialized.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)