Today Alabama Governor Bentley signed a state immigration bill that is considered one of the toughest in the nation. Some of the things the bill does include making it a crime to knowingly transport an undocumented person and requiring public schools to determine immigration status. Similar to Arizona’s SB 1070, the Alabama bill also allows law enforcement to arrest anyone who is suspected of being an undocumented immigrant if stopped for any reason. And the law requires Alabama employers to use E-Verify.
It’s obvious that this law is going to face legal challenges, and the school provision already flies in the face of Plyler v. Doe. The Southern Poverty Law Center expects a law suit to be filed before the law is scheduled to be implemented on September 1.
The proliferation of these immigration laws in some ways reflects the changing demographics in the south, where the Latino population has climbed 145%. Perhaps we can change the famous Steely Dan lyrics, “They call Alabama the Crimson Tide” and swap “Latino” for Crimson. State sanctioned discrimination is nothing new in the Heart of Dixie.
Sill not as harsh and racist as the immigration laws in Mexico. Ya’ll should read Article 33 of the Mexican constitution before ya go getting hypocritical on the country you spongue off because your own country is a corrupt hell hole.
Thanks for your comment. Well, if the US is aspiring to be more like Mexico, we are all in trouble. Why would Alabama want to create laws that are “harsh and racist” or headed in the direction of a country with so much chaos and inequality? And I don’t know if you are directing this thing about “your country” to me because I was born in the USA, so I have no other country.
Joe bob, can you tell me what is a spongue? Or is that part of your stupidity showing? Actually Article 33 is a strict and tough immigration article. Perhaps the USA would do well to look at it and implement something like it. Our immigration policies are broken and we need to fix them quick…, and when we do, I hope common sense and reason prevail and not hate and racism. Joe bob, let me save you the chance to show your racism and stupidity by saying I am an American born citizen, served in the army, pay too much in taxes, have never broken the law and I have 2 graduate degrees.., oh I happen to be a very proud Latino as well.