PHOENIX — A decade after Proposition 187 roiled California's political landscape, a move to block illegal immigrants from receiving some public services is alive in Arizona.
Proposition 200, in some ways, reprises the California campaign, but the legacy of Proposition 187 has guided how the ballot measure was drafted -- and how opponents fight it.
The Nov. 2 ballot initiative is favored by a majority of Arizonans in several polls, despite opposition from the state's political heavyweights, including Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano and Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain.
Proposition 200 -- started by Arizonans describing themselves as "just plain old everyday citizens" -- would require proof of immigration status when applying for child care, housing assistance and other benefits.
It also would require proof of citizenship to register to vote.
State workers would be required to report to federal authorities any illegal immigrants trying to receive welfare services. Workers who did not could be jailed.
The campaign is taking place against the chaotic backdrop of Arizona's border with Mexico, now the busiest illegal immigration corridor into the U.S.
Fueling the initiative's popularity, some experts say, have been TV ads that portray Arizona as a state overrun by immigrants who swell welfare rolls and drive up crime rates.
Reminiscent in spirit to a Proposition 187 ad that declared, "They keep coming," a frequently aired Proposition 200 ad containing images of border jumpers and crime scenes ends with: "Arizona is sick and tired of illegal immigration."
Some supporters are transplanted Californians like Sandra Crehore, who said she relocated to Scottsdale after her daughter was attacked by a Latino gang in Westwood. "I moved from Los Angeles because of illegal immigration," she said. "Now the problems are following us to Arizona."
Opponents call such views shortsighted.
"The only ones this hurts are the Americans themselves," said Hector Cabrera, who helps negotiate rates at a day-labor hiring hall. "We're helping build Arizona with our cheap labor."
Views like Cabrera's draw little sympathy from some people here.
The initiative has grown from a volunteer effort with people walking door-to-door for signatures to a statewide campaign funded largely by the Washington, D.C.-based Federation for American Immigration Reform.
