By Saniya Ghanoui -- July 8, 2010
Governors will convene on Boston this weekend to attend the National Governors Association but the meeting is not going to be a quiet one.
Plagued with protests, the largest one being the rally against Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and her support for the harsh anti-immigration law, the meeting may be overshadowed by what happens outside.
On the agenda for the three day conference are sessions regarding health care, childhood nutrition, energy and the economy and federal budget deficit.
The governors will also attend briefings on national security issues from Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and counterterrorism adviser John Brennan.
The governors meet twice a year. The winter meeting takes place in Washington D.C. with different cities hosting the summer meeting. The last time Boston held the conference was in 1994.
The group Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) has scheduled a Saturday afternoon rally to speak out against what it calls the "anti-immigration racism" going on in the country now, mainly fueled by the legislation in Arizona.
But supporters of the law are also voicing their opinion, via cash.
In documents obtained by The Associated Press, around $500,000 has been donated to the state in order to assist Arizona in defending its case against the federal government.
On Tuesday, the United States Justice Department brought a lawsuit against Arizona claiming the law was unconstitutional.
Nearly 88 percent of the contributions came from the defense fund's website. It has received donations from all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico and the website saw a hike in aid after the lawsuit was filed.
Around a quarter of the donations came from residents living in Arizona.
The Associated Press contacted donors who said they contributed because the government should be doing more to control the immigration problem, not suing the state.
"Arizona needs our help," said Mary Ann Rohde from California. She donated $20 to the fund. "It's a disgrace what our government is doing."
(Photo courtesy: AP Images)
