As a result of Arizona’s new employer sanctions law and tough enforcement of local immigration laws by Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas, Valley drivers are noticing their work commuting times have substantially decreased. Illegal immigrants are fleeing the state in droves, mostly leaving for states and cities with sanctuary city policies like Maryland and San Francisco. Arizona motorists who once sat in traffic for an hour on their way to work on the I-10, I-17, 101, 202 and 60 are reporting as much as a 50% decrease in commute times. One man said that his 7am commute on the I-17 used to be all stop-and-go, getting him to work at 8am. Now, if he leaves at 7am he is at work by 7:30. Another man reported that his commute from the West Valley on the I-10 into Phoenix used to take him close to 1 1/2 hours. Now, it’s rarely over 45 minutes.

So, the next time you’re driving to work or returning home and pleasantly surprised at how quickly you got there, thank our legislators for passing the employer sanctions law, and Sheriff Joe Arpaio for enforcing our laws. The significant decrease in neck and back pain for those of us who suffer from it in stop-and-go traffic has been a blessing.