In response to Arizona’s controversial immigration legislation, JCUA staffers, along with other immigrant rights advocates from the Chicago Workers Collaborative and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, attempted to deliver a petition to Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts yesterday (7-29-10), asking him to move the team’s spring training from Arizona to Florida.
However, no one from Ricketts’ office was willing to accept the petition, which has been signed by more than 2,000 people–including some major league baseball players.
The goal: to send a strong message to those in Arizona that Illinois does not support SB1070, which the petition describes as a path to “legalized racial profiling” and “un-American.” A strong financial message would also be sent to Arizona, as recent economic impact study found that moving Cubs training could cost Arizona more than $138 million in tourism.
JCUA continues to support the push for comprehensive immigration reform. Find out more about JCUA’s work on the issue at jcua.org/immigration.
