Thread: Alabama House passes Arizona-style immigration law

Alabama House passes Arizona-style immigration law

Published: Tuesday, April 05, 2011, 6:54 PM Updated: Tuesday, April 05, 2011, 8:01 PM

By Kim Chandler -- The Birmingham News The Birmingham News
Birmingham News file/Frank Couch

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The House of Representatives voted 73-28 this evening to pass an Arizona-style immigration law that gives law enforcement officers authority to detain people they suspect of being illegal immigrants.

Bill sponsor Rep. Micky Hammon, R-Decatur, told legislators that the bill, "attacks every aspect of an illegal alien's life."

"This bill is designed to make it difficult for them to live here so they will deport themselves," Hammon said during debate. The bill now goes to the Senate.

Hammon said illegal immigrants in Alabama are costing taxpayers money and taking jobs from American citizens. But critics of the bill said it would encourage racial profiling and add to law enforcement costs, and they argued that immigration enforcement should be the job of the federal government.

Hammon's bill would require police officers to demand proof of citizenship or residency from anyone they stop for a traffic violation or other infraction if there is reasonable suspicion the person is in the United States unlawfully. The officer would have to make a reasonable attempt to verify a person's citizenship status, and suspected illegal immigrants could be detained and charged with trespassing.

The bill would require jails to hold people until officers can verify their immigration status. It would make it a crime to house, give a ride to, rent to or employ an illegal immigrant.

Opponents in the Legislature questioned how a police officer would decide who to pursue as a possible illegal immigrant.

"Help me understand this reasonable suspicion. Do I look American?" Rep. Joe Hubbard, D-Montgomery, asked Hammon.

Hammon said that, in his opinion, he thought "reasonable suspicion" could apply to a person without identification acting nervous or changing their story as they talk to the officer, or it could be a car tag that doesn't match the vehicle description.

Other legislators said they were concerned the bill would lead to racial profiling and encourage the targeting of people who don't speak English or may look and sound different.

Hammon said law enforcement officers could only stop a person for a traffic or other offense and could not pull over a person solely based on suspicions about their immigration status.

Rep. Kerry Rich, R-Albertville, said his Sand Mountain district is inundated with illegal immigrants and something needs to be done.

"The illegals in this country are ripping us off," Rich said.

"If we wait for the federal government to put this fire out, our house is going to burn down," Rich said.

The Pew Hispanic Center earlier this year estimated that Alabama may have 120,000 unauthorized immigrants as of March 2010, double the estimate for 2005.

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/04/ala ... ona-s.html

READ THE BILL AT:
http://www.alhd9.com/Bills_files/HB56-int.pdf

SWEET!!! GOO BAMA!

"This bill is designed to make it difficult for them to live here so they will deport themselves," Hammon said during debate.

YEE-HAWWW! A legislator with common sense! Will wonders ever cease!

Alabama, send that man to Washington! Maybe whatever he has got is contagious. If you can't send him to Washington, CLONE HIM!

roundabout wrote:

YEE-HAWWW! A legislator with common sense! Will wonders ever cease!

You will like him even better after you read the text of the Bill, all 28 pages of it. The link is at the end of the article.

"Well boys and girls let's help them get it through the Senate!"

The cost of illegal aliens to the state of Alabama is $298 million dollars a year! http://twg2a.files.wordpress.com/2010/1 ... ystate.jpg

Don't worry about the cost of law enforcement we have that covered also!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... tWD4#at=40

"I sure like these guys!"

We won another one

The bill would require jails to hold people until officers can verify their immigration status. It would make it a crime to house, give a ride to, rent to or employ an illegal immigrant.

That is why America has laws to be enforced!!

Rep. Micky Hammon, and R-Decatur...President and Vice President for 2012!!

I really like this part

This bill would provide that an unauthorized alien who willfully affirms to false voter registration information or an individual who assists an unauthorized alien in willfully procuring false voter registration commits a ClassC felony.

This bill would also provide that an unauthorized alien who willfully votes commits a Class C felony.
This bill would require proof of citizenship or legal residency in order to access government benefits.

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-6210--0-0.html

Originally Posted by Newmexican

I really like this part

This bill would provide that an unauthorized alien who willfully affirms to false voter registration information or an individual who assists an unauthorized alien in willfully procuring false voter registration commits a ClassC felony.

This bill would also provide that an unauthorized alien who willfully votes commits a Class C felony.
This bill would require proof of citizenship or legal residency in order to access government benefits.

And I like this part of the news!

"This bill is designed to make it difficult for them to live here so they will deport themselves," Hammon said during debate. The bill now goes to the Senate.