Thread: Alabama Police Prepare to Enforce Tough New Immigration Law

Alabama Police Prepare to Enforce Tough New Immigration Law





BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Police in Alabama are getting ready to enforce what is considered by many as the toughest immigration law in the nation.

Beginning Thursday, authorities can question people suspected of being in the country illegally and hold them without bond, and officials can check the immigration status of students in public schools, Gov. Robert Bentley said.

Those two key aspects of Alabama's new law were upheld by a federal judge on Wednesday. The governor said parts of the law take effect immediately.

"We intend to enforce it," Bentley said.

U.S. District Judge Sharon Blackburn, a Republican appointee, wrote in a 115-page opinion that some parts of the GOP-backed law conflict with federal statutes, but others don't. Left standing were several key elements that help make the Alabama law stricter than similar laws passed in Arizona, Utah, Indiana and Georgia. Other federal judges have blocked all or parts of those.

There are three separate lawsuits against the Alabama law, including a challenge from President Barack Obama's administration. Blackburn's ruling is expected to be appealed.

John Carroll, a former U.S. magistrate judge who is now dean of Samford University's law school in suburban Birmingham, said Blackburn's ruling was mostly consistent with decisions from other states with the exception of her allowing Alabama's "stop and ask" provision, which lets police request people's immigration papers.

"I think down the line there are other arguments that can be made as the case goes forward," said Carroll.

Agricultural leaders fear the law could cost farmers money this autumn by scaring away Hispanic workers who are vital to harvesting crops statewide.

"There are some sweet potato farmers in this state it's really going to hurt. I don't know how they're going to get their crops out," said Jeremy Calvert, a farmer in rural Bremen.

Zan Green, a tea party activist in metro Birmingham, said she was happy with the decision, saying citizens of foreign countries have benefited for years through welfare, entitlements, education, medical care and child tax credits.

"Judge Blackburn's ruling is the beginning of removing the enormous financial burden of illegal immigration from the backs of Alabama citizens," she said in a statement.

The judge refused to block a section of the law that requires public schools to verify students' citizenship and report overall statistics to the state, but the immediate effect isn't clear since schools have already started. Alabama was the first state to include such a provision, so Blackburn's decision could set a blueprint should others adopt similar laws.

Immigration became a hot issue in Alabama over the last decade as the state's Hispanic population grew by 145 percent to about 185,600. While the group still represents only about 4 percent of the population, some counties in north Alabama have large Spanish-speaking communities and schools where most of the students are Hispanic.

Alabama Republicans have long sought to clamp down on illegal immigration and passed the law earlier this year after gaining control of the Legislature for the first time since Reconstruction. Bentley signed it, saying it was vital to protect jobs of legal residents.

Republican Sen. Scott Beason, one of the sponsors of the bill, was happy with Blackburn's decision and hopes, like the governor, that the entire law takes effect after appeals.

"There are still legal questions and there's still work to be done," he said.

Blackburn's orders temporarily blocked several parts of the law until she can issue a final ruling. Those measures would:

-- Make it a crime for an illegal immigrant to solicit work.

-- Make it a crime to transport or harbor an illegal immigrant.

-- Allow discrimination lawsuits against companies that dismiss legal workers while hiring illegal immigrants.

-- Forbid businesses from taking tax deductions for wages paid to workers who are in the country illegally.

-- Bar illegal immigrants from attending public colleges.

-- Bar drivers from stopping along a road to hire temporary workers.

-- Make federal verification the only way in court to determine if someone is here legally.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/09/29/al ... z1ZL2qhENe

Related Thread
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-251175-alabama.html
Alabama Judge refuses to block key parts of immigration law/ PDF

Originally Posted by working4change

Alabama Police Prepare to Enforce Tough New Immigration Law





BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Police in Alabama are getting ready to enforce what is considered by many as the toughest immigration law in the nation.

Beginning Thursday, authorities can question people suspected of being in the country illegally and hold them without bond, and officials can check the immigration status of students in public schools, Gov. Robert Bentley said.

Those two key aspects of Alabama's new law were upheld by a federal judge on Wednesday. The governor said parts of the law take effect immediately.

"We intend to enforce it," Bentley said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/09/29/al ... z1ZL2qhENe

===========================

THREE CHEERS FOR ALABAMA!

Finally, a state that is actually allowed to enforce the law.

This is a major victory not just for Alabama, but for all of America.

It sends out the message that if you are an illegal alien, and you are trying to work or live illegally in Alabama, you WILL BE ARRESTED for breaking the law.

This is huge

WOOO HOOO! Lets hope many other States now fall in line with Alabama.

Yay! Now if all States could do the same we'd really be getting somewhere!

good for Alabama
you have to be Tough it your state
I would be the same way.
good Luck now. all the other state should do the same thing


No amnesty

Beginning Thursday, authorities can question people suspected of being in the country illegally and hold them without bond, and officials can check the immigration status of students in public schools, Gov. Robert Bentley said.

Why is this even "controversial?" This is basic, common sense that every country adheres to. Only in a country being invaded by illegal invaders are such basic measures deemed "tough!"

Wake up people, we're being invaded and there is a powerful faction in this country trying to aid and abet this invasion; some at the highest levels.

The UN agenda on migration is supported by those that are in power and they will not enforce our immigration laws as they work toward the worldwide redistribution of the wealth of this country.

A large majority of the legal citizens of Alabama are tired of paying the freight for the illegal foreign nationals that drain limited resources intended to be used to help U.S. citizens while they send cash remittances to their home countries.

The top two countries that send remittances are Mexico and India followed by the Phillipines.

Remittances are an important source of income for many developing countries.

According to the World Bank, $111 billion was remitted worldwide in 2001. Of this, about 65 percent went to developing countries, with half of that money going to countries considered to be "lower-middle income countries." For some countries, remittances are a major source of foreign exchange and are an important addition to their gross domestic product. For example, the United Nations reported that in 2000, remittances augmented GDP by over 10 percent for countries such as El Salvador, Eritrea, Jamaica, Jordan, Nicaragua, and Yemen.


http://www.migrationinformation.org/USf ... cfm?ID=138

Using Mexico as an example:
In the first quarter of 2011.

"A total of $11.2 billion was sent between January and June compared to $10.7 billion over the same period last year, a 4.7 percent increase. Remittances increased for nine straight months."

"Mexico is also the largest recipient of U.S. remittances in Latin America."
http://www.al.com/newsflash/index.ssf/s ... f73ae03a40

This is not about "race" because Hispanic is not a race, ti is a mixed ethnicity. But, it seems that citizens of Mexico are the biggest abusers of our immigration laws.

We can no longer afford to bring other countries out of poverty by displacing our own citizens.

They are full of BS. and McMillan is a shill for big farmers. JMO

Alabama implements illegal immigration equipment before judge's ruling

Submitted by Lonnie Crawford, Community Web Producer
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011, 7:
By Eric Sollman

Alabama's controversial immigration law has been on hold for months while a judge decides whether or not it's constitutional.

That decision is expected to be made this week.

Monday Governor Robert Bentley unveiled a new development in the illegal immigration debate. It's a state-developed computer system that can verify citizenship as quickly as you can show your driver's license.

It's called AL-Verify. Some say this isn't needed until a judge rules on Alabama's new immigration law.

John McMillan, with the Alabama Commission of Agriculture and Industries says he will definitely be watching.

"Some of our farmers have been in talks with legislators. I have been involved in some of those meetings, and my role is going to be keeping legislators informed of what I see out there on the ground," said McMillan.

McMillan, and many others are waiting to see what an up or down vote for Alabama's immigration law means, or if there will be any provisions.

While many people wait, the governor and his cabinet members are moving forward, and they're doing it through the AL-Verify program.

"We provided an automated way to be compliant so the process for getting a title or a tag hasn't really changed but because of the immigration bill we had a compliance issue. Now with this technology we've solved the compliance issue," said Julie Magee, the Commissioner for the Department of Revenue.

Magee said she didn't know how much the technology cost, but the program is live, and here's the way it works: You put your driver's license info in and AL-Verify tells you whether it's valid.

Opponents of Alabama's controversial new immigration law say the state should not be enacting any new policies or procedures especially because this law hasn't taken effect.

"I think it's kind of premature of the state to be undertaking new actions in pursuit of a law that we don't even know is going to be upheld yet," said ACLU Legal Director Allison Neal.

For state law enforcement, there's nothing political about it.

"We always enforce the laws passed by the legislature and signed by the governor in the state of Alabama and that's what every law enforcement officer is there to do," said Col. Hugh McCall with the Alabama Department of Public Safety.

Many people are asking what exactly is the judge deciding when it comes to Alabama's immigration law. She has three options. She can stop the entire act and say it's not enforceable at this time. She can allow it to take effect. Or she can prevent certain parts of the law from taking effect.

No matter what her decision is, many legal experts say there is a strong chance that some side to this argument will appeal regardless.

http://northhuntsville.waff.com/news/ne ... ges-ruling

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