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Online Scottsdale school says current climate is hurting its relationships with Mexico

Posted at 6:26 PM, Jan 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-28 08:44:36-05

A small business owner with a large international client base is feeling the negative trickle down of the current political climate.

Scottsdale-based Franklin Virtual Schools is an online middle and high school.

Eighty percent of the students are from other countries.

Thursday, administrators received a couple of e-mails from Mexican agencies saying they would take their business elsewhere.

"Specifically from Mexico saying, sorry, based on the current political climate, it's probably not a good idea to send you students," said David Hooser, chief administrative officer at Franklin Virtual Schools.

Hooser says his school tries to stay out of politics but has found itself caught up in the impact of a political climate that is outside of its control.

This week President Trump announced several executive orders focused on immigration and US/Mexico relations, including an order to start building a physical wall along the entire border with Mexico and prohibiting immigration to the United States from certain countries.