Governor Robert Bentley signed the strictest illegal immigrant law package in the United States this week. According to Huffington Post:
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama’s governor on Thursday signed a tough new illegal immigration crackdown that contains provisions requiring public schools to determine students’ immigration status and making it a crime to knowingly give an illegal immigrant a ride.
The bill also allows police to arrest anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant if they’re stopped for any other reason. Alabama employers also are now required to use a federal system called E-Verify to determine if new workers are in the country legally.
Gov. Robert Bentley said the law is the nation’s toughest, and groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Center agree. The groups say they plan to challenge it.
Bentley believes that the Alabama law can withstand Constitutional scrutiny. He campaigned on cracking down on illegal immigration. Other sources have stated that Alabama leaders feel this law will open up jobs to Americans. Studies have shown that many Americans simply won’t do the type of work that many immigrants are happy to do.
Implementation of this law has me curious. How will schools gather the information? What will they do with it if it is gathered? What about children of illegal immigrants who were born in the United States?
How does one KNOW if they are giving an illegal immigrant a ride? Would that apply to public transportation? Would a bus driver be held culpable? Do you ask to see neighbor and co-workers’ green cards?
The probable cause component seems vague. Would the person be arrested for being an illegal immigrant? What if she or he isn’t an illegal immigrant? Isn’t it more incumbent on the state to prove they are illegal than for an individual to prove they aren’t?
Perhaps more information will unfold on this Alabama bill. It certainly seems to be rife with problems that haven’t been ironed out yet to the satisfaction of many. It will be interesting to see how that employment hypothesis works out also.
Alabama Legislature Passes Illegal Immigration Bill defends the new law, called the “Alabama Taxpayer and Citizenship Protection Act.” Click the link to read the defense of the law.
Way to go, Alabama!
Virginia could use this law. I look forward to we the people getting a chance to consider it.
Governor Bentley is turning Alabama into a fascist dictatorship.
Soooo…socialists will feel right at home in Alabama? The mass transit will run on time?
Interesting. I’d like to see what the law actually says before saying anything one way or the other.
My fear is the ‘broken tail light’ syndrome where a LEO will look for an excuse to detain someone for questioning and then delve into legal presence question. Now, at least in Virginia you can tell the officer to pound sand and walk away. Other states don’t permit that. I’d rather support a structure where legal presence is determined at a jailing facility rather than out in the field.
I don’t disagree Marin. Now, what is this about telling a LEO to pound sand? I probably wouldn’t do that.
Pound sand could be anything as simple as I refuse to answer your question and walk away.
Or, tell him to go fly a kite and walk away. Your milage may vary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8z7NC5sgik is a very good video clip.
Good thing. Now all the money they save like we did can be used for the racial profiling lawsuits…. Don’t worry – you won’t have to tell anyone to pound sand, they’re not going to “notice” anything unless they like spending their time in internal affairs.