The law, signed by Governor Jan Brewer in April, forces immigrants to carry registration at all times and requires police to question people who they suspect are in the United States illegally. Opponents argue that the law will foster racial profiling and discrimination. The Phoenix Suns are the latest to openly voice their disagreement with the legislation.
"I think it's fantastic," Nash said after Tuesday's practice. "I think the law is very misguided. I think it's, unfortunately, to the detriment of our society and our civil liberties. I think it's very important for us to stand up for things we believe in. As a team and as an organization, we have a lot of love and support for all of our fans. The league is very multicultural. We have players from all over the world, and our Latino community here is very strong and important to us."
The "Los Suns" jerseys originated as a marketing gimmick to appeal to the Latino community but have taken on a political meaning since the Cinco de Mayo game. President Obama, a critic of the bill, commented on the jerseys at a Cinco de Mayo reception held at the White House saying, "I know that a lot of you would rather be watching tonight's game—the Spurs against 'Los Suns' from Phoenix."
Critics of the bill are calling for a boycott of Arizona and the state's teams have come under fire. Days after the bill was signed, protesters gathered outside Wrigley Field in Chicago during a Cubs-Diamondbacks game. Some are calling for Major League Baseball to move the 2011 All-Star Game somewhere else. A similar situation occurred in 1993 when the National Football League denied Phoenix the chance to host Super Bowl XXVII because the state did not recognize Martin Luther King Day.
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