Thread: Congressional Hispanics to discuss Alabama immigration law w

Congressional Hispanics to discuss Alabama immigration law with DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano

The Birmingham News
By Mary Orndorff
Friday, December 02, 2011, 10:54 AM

WASHINGTON - The members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus will meet next week with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to discuss Alabama's immigration law and how it is being enforced, according to Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.



Several Democratic members of Congress, already calling for the law to be repealed or declared unconstitutional, were in Birmingham Nov. 21 to oppose the state law that calls on local police and sheriffs to identify and detain illegal immigrants. On Capitol Hill this morning, they said the visit convinced them the law is hurting Alabama's economy and international image, and that it's tearing apart families that include U.S. citizens.

"Clearly it has created a lot less order and a lot more chaos," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez said he wants Napolitano to clarify that federal immigration officials will not begin deportation proceedings against undocumented people who have no prior criminal record. Because of limited resources, federal policy is that the first priority cases for deportation are those who have committed other crimes.

Gutierrez said he wants local law enforcement in Alabama to hear directly from federal officials that detaining undocumented people with otherwise clean records is a waste of time and effort.

"They need to hear that federal policy takes precedence over these local laws," Gutierrez said.

Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, was part of the delegation that held a public hearing in Birmingham last week.

"I'm grateful to them for shedding light on this overreaching law," Sewell said.

The Republican-led Alabama Legislature passed the law to crack down on the number of illegal immigrants in the state by helping federal officials locate them, and inhibiting their ability to work and access government services.

http://blog.al.com/sweethome/2011/12/co ... o_dis.html

"They need to hear that federal policy takes precedence over these local laws," Gutierrez said.

Policy and Limited Resources are now Dirty Words to me.

Luis needs to go home to Chicago. He doesn't quite understand that Alabama doesn't want to be the sanctuary state that Illinois has become.

Hispanic Caucus shifts gears toward restricting Alabama immigration law

al.com
By Mary Orndorff --
The Birmingham News
Published: Saturday, December 03, 2011, 10:00 AM


U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez makes a point against Alabama's anti-illegal immigration law during a meeting in Birmingham on Nov. 21, 2011. (The Birmingham News/Linda Stelter)

WASHINGTON -- The members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus will meet next week with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to discuss enforcement of Alabama's immigration law, according to Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.

Gutierrez, a leading critic on Capitol Hill of states that try to police immigration themselves, said he wants the federal government's top immigration officials to emphasize that they will not deport illegal immigrants snagged in Alabama's dragnet unless they have a record of other crimes.

President Barack Obama's administration has announced that its policy puts a higher priority on deporting those with criminal records, and less of a priority on those without a history of crime who were brought to the U.S. as children, are married to U.S. citizens, or are established and have children who are citizens.

The federal government has enough agents and resources to deport about 400,000 people a year, compared to the estimated 11 million who are in the U.S. without permission.

Napolitano previously said that her agency, which includes the office responsible for deportations, would not help Alabama enforce its law. Gutierrez said that message should be an incentive for local Alabama law enforcement not to bother rounding up illegal immigrants with clean records and a long history in the state because Immigration and Customs Enforcement won't process them.

"They need to hear that federal policy takes precedence over these local laws," Gutierrez said.
'More chaos'

Gutierrez and other House Democrats held a news conference Friday morning to talk about their Nov. 21 visit to Birmingham and why they think the state's immigration law should be repealed or declared unconstitutional. They've filed written arguments to the court backing the U.S. Justice Department's opposition to the state law.

"Clearly it has created a lot less order and a lot more chaos," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez said his advice for illegal immigrants with clean records and deep roots in the country is to carry with them proof of those roots in case they are stopped by police. He recommended they carry copies of their high school diploma, their spouse's birth certificate or their mortgage in an effort to convince officials they are not among the priority cases for deportation.

"It sends a message to law enforcement that there are limitations to what they can do," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez's campaign against Alabama's law has garnered support among other House Democrats, including Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, who hosted a group of her colleagues last week in Birmingham.

"I'm grateful to them for shedding light on this overreaching law," Sewell said.

Supporters of the Alabama law say it was never meant to cause mass deportations, and that other provisions don't need cooperation from the federal government to be effective. For example, the law prohibits conducting business with illegal immigrants, which supporters say is a key deterrent for illegal immigrants to stay in Alabama.

http://blog.al.com/sweethome/2011/12/hi ... ars_t.html

Hey Guiterrez-It's the illegals that started the chaos by entering the country illegally. The finger points at them not the lawmakers and citizens who wanted this law!!!

Hang tough Alabama if you can enforce your laws for one year you will show the rest the nation just how much money it costs to have your very own illegal aliens, it's only been 2 months and you're unemployment rate has dropped 1 full percent, and that was before the Christmas season!

We're already seeing Alabama plates here! $320 million a year is what illegals cost the state of Alabama! This map is from 05