Strong Support for Alabama Immigration Bill

Reported by: James Gordon

(ROBERTSDALE, Ala.) Alabama lawmakers are one step closer to passing a sweeping and controversial immigration bill.

The House passed a bill 73-28 that would give police the right to arrest anyone who can't prove they are a legal U.S. citizen. Businesses could also lose their license if they hire illegal aliens.

In Baldwin County, a lot of immigration stops happen on Interstate 10.

"A traffic stop on the interstate - it could be one or more illegal alien, and they may not have any identification. You know, it's up to the Border Patrol. They make the decision on whether they come out or not. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't," says Lt. Jason Vannoy with the Daphne Police Department.

A new law like this one would allow police to arrest anyone who cannot prove they are a citizen. It could give officers a powerful new tool.

"It looks like it would give you the ability to hold someone a little longer obviously if you can charge them with a criminal offense that would allow you to keep them in custody as opposed to just letting them drive off, " says Vannoy.

Anyone who's been to Robertsdale has seen the "Michoacana Grocery Store." The owner, Clemente Pineda, has his green card and is working toward U.S. Citizenship. He says everyone in his family is talking about House Bill 56 .

"The problem is it discriminates against Hispanics and people from other countries, " says Pineda.

Another key component in House Bill 56 is making more jobs available for legal citizens by weeding out illegal workers and causing employers to lose their business license if they hire illegals.

Clemente says everyone who works should be documented, but he says there is a bottom line.

"Most Americans don't want the jobs immigrants do. Ask any American if they want to pick strawberries and they wont do it. Immigrants will do the work, " says Pineda.


http://www.local15tv.com/news/local/sto ... px?rss=217