Mexican tourists shun Arizona after immigration law signed

Since GOP Gov. Jan Brewer signed Arizona's immigration law in late April, the number of legal visitors from Mexico has plummeted — which could be bad news for local businesses.

About 12,500 fewer Mexicans per day have entered the state in the past few months compared with the same time period in 2009, a 17 percent drop, reports the Arizona Republic. After the law passed, the Mexican government warned citizens they may face discrimination while traveling in Arizona.

A federal judge struck down much of the law last week, but it's unclear whether that decision will result in an uptick in tourism from Mexico.

The dip in visitors from Mexico started before the law was passed, due to the recession and increased wait times at ports of entry, experts told the paper.

A University of Arizona study found that in 2007-2008, 24 million legal foreign visitors spent $2.7 billion at the state's restaurants and other businesses.