Thread: Ala - Immigration debate muted in Legislature

Immigration debate muted in Legislature
Thursday, February 19, 2009 By BRIAN LYMANCapital Bureau
MONTGOMERY — Last year's illegal immigration bills were introduced with much fanfare, but the trumpets have been muted for the 2009 versions of the legislation.

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday approved legislation by state Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur that would make it a felony to transport illegal immigrants into the state. Violations would be a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

It was the first illegal immigration bill this year to make it out of a Senate committee. Orr has two other bills in his package, and Senate Democrats have also introduced a number of pieces of legislation designed to deal with illegal immigration.

But unlike last year, when Senate Republicans and House Democrats held dueling news conferences over their illegal immigration packages, the parties have been significantly quieter about their current legislation.

The bills are also less sweeping. Measures currently filed in the Legislature would:

Make it illegal to give certain government benefits to illegal aliens; actions already illegal under federal law.

Forbid towns from declaring themselves "sanctuary cities" protecting illegal immigrants from deportation.

Forbid companies that hire illegal immigrants from receiving state contracts.

Several controversial bills from last year's session — including legislation requiring the driver's test to be administered in English, and requiring all workers who are not Alabama residents to carry state-issued identification — have not been reintroduced.

State Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, one of the leading advocates of an illegal immigration package last year, had not filed any immigration-related bills as of Wednesday afternoon.

His package generated opposition last year from business and civil libertarian groups. Orr said his bills have always been about local matters.

"Last year, (Beason) took more a shotgun approach," Orr said. "I took more of a targeted rifle approach. It's still a serious issue, particularly in my district."

Beason could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Shay Farley, an attorney with Alabama Appleseed, a nonprofit group that has opposed illegal immigration legislation in the past, said the economic downturn may have muted the debate over the issue.

"The downgrade in the economy as forced a lot of immigrants to leave," she said. "If there are no jobs, they're certainly not 'taking jobs' from Americans."

Orr said he believes national politics also have been a factor.

"It was not an issue in the presidential campaign because the two candidates were in sync on the issue," he said. "That doesn't mean the issue has gone away."

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Orr's bill, which he said was aimed "coyotes" who make money from bringing people into the country illegally, did not run into opposition in committee Wednesday.

Farley, however, said her group is worried the bill as written could allow police to arrest attorneys transporting clients to hearings. The group, she said, is monitoring all the bills, but has particular concerns with the benefits bill. That, Farley argued, would merely duplicate federal prohibitions on extending public services to illegal immigrants while costing millions of dollars to implement.

"It's feeding into a public outcry that says we don't want (undocumented workers) bleeding taxpayer dollars," she said. "It won't do anything to eradicate that, but it will spend taxpayer money to implement the program."





http://www.al.com/news/press-register/m ... xml&coll=3

"Farley, however, said her group is worried the bill as written could allow police to arrest attorneys transporting clients to hearings."



Oh my God, that's the funniest flimsiest excuse I've heard yet. Well, carry your Bar Member card with you and a copy of your hearing schedule date from the court and then if you're stopped, you can show the nice officer your documents and he can provide you with a police escort to make sure your clients don't miss their hearing.

Also, if she hadn't gotten them out on bail, she wouldn't find yourself in that position to begin with.