Associated Press
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The mayor of Minnesota's capital is boycotting Arizona because of the state's stringent new immigration law.
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman is ordering city departments not to travel to conferences in Arizona. And the Democrat says he'll encourage both the Democratic and Republican parties not to pick Phoenix for their national conventions in 2012.
Coleman says Arizona's law is "draconian" and won't solve illegal immigration. Instead, he says the law will lead to racial tension.
Deputy Chief of Staff Bob Hume says Coleman's action is in line with other cities, such as San Francisco, where the mayor has put a moratorium on city employees' official travel to Arizona.
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Hume didn't know if any city employees had upcoming trips scheduled to Arizona, and also wasn't immediately able to provide an estimate of how much the city spends on employee travel to Arizona.
