Fewer Latinos in Ariz.; law, economy cited - The Denver Post: MEXICO CITY — A new study suggests there may be 100,000 fewer Latinos in Arizona than there were before the debate over the state's tough new immigration law earlier this year.
BBVA Bancomer Research, which did the study, worked with figures from the U.S. Current Population Survey. The study says the decline could be due to a new law that would allow police to question the immigration status of those they suspect are in the country illegally, which partly took effect in July. It may also be due to Arizona's difficult economic situation.
The study also cites Mexican government figures as saying 23,380 Mexicans returned from Arizona to Mexico between June and September.
U.S. census figures from 2008 say about 30 percent of people living in Arizona are Latino, or about 1.9 million.
