PAUL DAVENPORT
Associated Press Writer
PHOENIX – Retirees and other residents from all over the country were among those who donated nearly $500,000 to help Arizona defend its immigration enforcement law, with most chipping in $100 or less, according to an analysis of documents obtained Thusday by The Associated Press.
The donations, 88 percent of which came from through the defense fund’s website, surged this week after the federal government sued Tuesday to challenge the law. A document from Gov. Jan Brewer’s office showed that 7,008 of the 9,057 online contributions submitted by Thursday morning were made in the days following the government’s filing.
Website contributions came from all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and nearly 2,000 came from within Arizona. Donations ranged from $5 to $2,000, with the vast majority between $10 and $100.