SEATTLE – Most people in Seattle oppose Arizona's controversial new immigration law and most people in Tacoma support it, according to a new KING 5 News poll. But, a majority of people in both cities say they aren't ready to boycott Arizona over it.
The law requires that if police are enforcing another law, they must verify a person's immigration status if there's "reasonable" suspicion they are in the U.S. illegally. Critics have said the law will lead to racial profiling.
Seattle has joined several cities across the nation in protest by calling for a boycott of Arizona businesses. Tacoma leaders are also expected to also discuss the issue.
SurveyUSA asked 600 Seattle and 600 Tacoma residents if they knew about the new law. Of those, 442 in Seattle and 412 in Tacoma said they were familiar with it.
When asked what they think of the law, 55 percent in Seattle said they oppose it while 41 percent support it. But in Tacoma, 57 percent support it while 38 percent oppose it.
Asked if their respective cities should officially support or oppose the law, 45 percent in Seattle said the city should oppose and 31 percent said support. Twenty-four percent said the city should take no official stance. In Tacoma, 38 percent said the city should support the law, 28 percent said oppose it and 33 percent said the city should have no official position.
Despite the differences in support, residents say both cities should continue to do business with companies in Arizona. Tacoma residents favored it more, with 72 percent saying keep doing business while 21 percent said boycott. In Seattle, 60 percent said do business with Arizona while 34 percent said boycott.
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