The recent immigration law enacted in the state of Alabama is a cause for much concern. Under the decision of Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn, sections of the law are already being enforced, including a provision that requires state and local enforcement officials to verify a person's immigration status during routine traffic stops and one that requires elementary and secondary schools to determine and record the immigration status of incoming students and their parents. Alabama now has the strictest anti-immigration legislation in the country. Other states, such as Arizona, have attempted to pass similar legislation only to be blocked by federal judges. Judge Blackburn's failure to enter a preliminary injunction against certain provisions of Alabama's new anti-immigrant legislation, H.B. 56, is already causing major disturbances.
In particular, Section 28 of the new law requires school districts to determine and report the immigration status of all newly enrolling students to the State Department of Education, which has resulted in a record number of absences and withdrawals from school for Hispanic children. Parents, in grave fear of repercussions from immigration authorities, are keeping their children out of school. Some families are even fleeing the state despite school officials' efforts to ensure families that there is no cause for alarm. Parents are doing what they feel is necessary to protect themselves and their children and to stay in the country. It is tragic to see young children suffering at the hands of this disturbing attempt at immigration reform.
The heinous consequences of this legislation will ultimately affect the entire public school system in Alabama-therefore resulting in losses for all students, including U.S. citizen and legal immigrant children. The system depends on its enrollment numbers for funding. As the illegal Hispanic immigrant population continues to vanish from schools seeking to avoid discrimination and fear of deportation, so too will the funding for the education of all Alabama students.
Because of the deafening silence from Washington on comprehensive federal immigration reform, states such as Alabama, are taking action and enacting unconstitutional laws. While law-backers claim that the new immigration provisions are intended to deliver jobs to citizens and protect taxpayers, they appear to be having the opposite effect. One cannot ignore the impending economic disaster and relentless discrimination that will ensue.
The section of the Alabama law that will now allow local law enforcement officials to take federal matters into their own hands in conducting "routine stops" of individuals "suspected" to be undocumented is reminiscent of Arizona's fatal attempt to enact similar immigration restrictions. Alabama police are uncertain about how to enforce the law and have yet to clearly define any.
The disruption to the education of children living in the U.S. is perhaps the most offensive change being authorized. This is not only an infringement upon federal law but a terrible tragedy, and a crude attempt at immigration reform. These actions go against the very foundations our country was built upon. This country can attribute much of its growth to its long history of individuals and families who immigrated here, dedicated to establishing a better life and contributing to a country they believed in.
Regardless of its purported best intentions -- to put U.S. citizens in Alabama back to work -- this law has already had the disparate impact on Hispanics, effectively segregating them from the general population like black citizens were under Jim Crow. The law is uprooting working people, home buyers and taxpayers, as Hispanics flee Alabama in uncertain anticipation of what is next. The law is splitting up families -- forcing undocumented immigrants to find legal guardians for their US citizen children -- and keeping some children out of school altogether.
Our current system of immigration is not only outdated and inadequate, it perpetuates the cycle of illegal immigration through its rigid and arbitrary rules. The system makes it impossible for hard-working, taxpaying immigrants to achieve legal status even though many have a strong desire to do so.
As a country founded by immigrants, we should be defending core American values -- education and the prevention of racial profiling and discrimination. Legislative extremism only perpetuates the notion that all undocumented immigrants pose a threat to this country. It will cause the immigrant community to panic, to pull their children from schools and vanish from work sites. This will consequently cause a drop in public school funding for all children and further economic disaster, particularly affecting the agricultural industry. Farmers have not been able to make up the lack of a workforce and crops in fields are rotting unpicked. Production has come to an abrupt halt, as workers fail to show up to work in fear of being arrested and placed into removal proceedings.
The question remains: how do we, as a nation, protect our homeland and at the same time address our economic challenges. We must devise a way to integrate the many undocumented immigrants to allow them to be productive citizens, thus benefiting the United States as a whole, instead of driving these individuals and families into hiding and causing economic breakdown in many communities.
It is my prayer that our elected officials will stand tall, act in kind, and align with the values of Lady Liberty, who stands as a beacon to those individuals around the world hoping to become an integral part of this great country.
Alabama Immigration Law Upheld - NYTimes.com
Alabama to enforce strict immigration laws - CBS News
Federal Lawyer: No Room For Alabama Immigration Law | Fox News
Clergy Sues To Stop Alabama's Immigration Law : NPR
NewsHour Extra: School Provision in Alabama Immigration Law ...
Alabama Immigration Bill - CBS 42 Birmingham, AL News Weather ...
Judge temporarily blocks tough Alabama immigration law - CNN
1. "Some families are even fleeing the state despite school officials' efforts to ensure families that there is no cause for alarm."
Assure, not ensure.
2. "Alabama police are uncertain about how to enforce the law and have yet to clearly define any."
Any what? Measures to be taken, perhaps?
I would also mention that we need to consider the "illegal" nature of this immigration. They may be essential to the economy, they may be excellent neighbors, they may otherwise be law-abiding, but the fact is that they are here in violation of the law.
So something needs to be done? How about changing the law, and/or enforcing it uniformly, and making the illegals follow the necessary procedures to become legal?
If you think about it, their undocumented status is an excuse to treat them differently: To pay them less, violate work rules, deny them benefits, and in effect make them second class citizens (if not virtual slaves). After all, to whom can they complain? OSHA? The police? I don't think that simply "devis[ing] a way to integrate the many undocumented immigrants to allow them to be productive citizens" will do them any favors as long as their sojourn in the United States falls outside of the law.
It isn't depressing wages because the workers do not compete with other workers in other industries. It's keeping costs down and exports up.
This is an article about why you're wrong:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/05/14/why-americans-think-wrongly-that-illegal-immigrants-hurt-the-economy.html
From another article that shows how farmers depend on illegal immigrants - and how removing them may destroy our agricultural foundation:
"Its no secret that illegal immigrants are the lifeblood of conventional farming operations in California."
http://caivn.org/article/2011/08/10/e-verify-potential-threat-californias-agricultural-economy
The effect of an illegal workforce is a net positive (even considering health costs, crime and sending money "back home"). They pay taxes and subsidize Social Security. They provide demand. And on and on.
I am still ambivalent about an undocumented workforce. Slaves were good for the South, but that doesn't make it right, and although these people aren't technically slaves, they are, shall we say, "severely restricted" and underpaid.
I say no reform to immigration unless it is to strengthen our borders and begin holding mexico financially responsible for the expenses of deporting their citizens back to mexico.
You are correct when said that america is made up of immigrants, but the majority have been legal and gone through the process of obtaining visa's or citizenship.
these people create an incredible financial hardship on state, local, and federal governments and the respective budgets.
Maybe these illegals should remain in their country's and work toward making it a better place to live. America had to do it and our forefathers and mothers worked, sacraficed, and died in making this a great nation. If the illegals want these same things then either apply to be here the correct way or stay home and sacrafice, die, and build your country into a great place of wealth and opportunity...just like we did.
BTW, police can ask a few questions and they know whats up. If you can't speak English that's a big red flag, so you're a visitor as such you must have a greencard, visa or something that is required by law for all immigrants to carry at all times, not a immigrant? So you're an illegal! See how easy that was.
They do NOT know how to drive.
From another blog:
http://bentcorner.com/alabamas-tough-new-illegal-immigrant-law-is-working/
"Farmers are complaining that they now have no one to work their fields. According to the Alabama Farmers Federation, farmers have lost 40 to 60 percent of their crops. They claim they cannot get Americans to work the fields because of the long hours and back-breaking work. They fail to mention they are only willing to pay slave-wages. For too long now American farmers have been allowed to underpay illegal immigrants to work their fields. They have grown used to it. They think it’s normal to pay someone only a fraction of what a job is worth."
Why did their parents put them in this position?
"While law-backers claim that the new immigration provisions are intended to deliver jobs to citizens and protect taxpayers, they appear to be having the opposite effect." Think so?
"On Monday, for example, the Wayne Farms chicken-processing plant in Marshall County held a jobs fair to fill slots that opened when many illegal workers left the county. The line “was probably equivalent to a couple of blocks … It was a largely Anglo and black group,” but also included Hispanics, said Ellis."
http://www.numbersusa.com/content/news/october-6-2011/alabama-official-says-tough-immigration-law-resulting-self-deportation.html
Jim Crow laws were enacted against US citizens, these people are not US citizens, they are illegal alien who snuck into the country under the cover of darkness with out inspection. Living among us as fake Americans until you shine a light on them. These people would be illegal in any country them as in except anyother country they would be booted out when found.
They will here too when the tipping point is hit and it won't be pretty.
http://dailycaller.com/2011/10/06/alabama-official-says-tough-immigration-law-leading-to-self-deportation/
http://www.westernfreepress.com/2011/10/10/justice-department-fears-immigration-enforcement-may-work/
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2011/10/06/alabama-official-lauds-exodus-undocumented-from-schools-and-jobs-in-his-town/
It is beyond irritating that you attempt to compare their plight to those of Black Americans. It's insulting to compare the consequences of illegal immigration to the institution of slavery that was imposed on Africans; illegal immigrants are here by choice, and just as they came, they are free to leave. It's insulting to compare the struggle for rights insured by citizenship status to the rights of persons committing a federal crime by being here illegally.
Blacks were not here illegally, and whether you like it or not, that is the point of contention. We fought for what was rightfully ours as defined by the Constitution; we didn't voluntarily go to another country illegally and then demand rights.
If I were to try that in your country, I would face far more repercussions than what the illegal immigrants here face, so I'm completely baffled as to why you seem to think that your people should be treated any differently.
So any law which makes the crooks feel unwelcome and fear is a good thing. Criminals SHOULD be afraid. The illegals have also committed fraud, ID theft, forgery, perjury, illegal entry, not registering for the draft, SS fraud, among other crimes. Then we get the benefit of them driving without a license, no insurance, no registration, and when they kill or maim Americans, then they get a pass since they cannot pay. WE get to pick up the pieces and costs. We pick up THEIR medical bills, and their victims get to pay for their OWN and then pay for the illegals bills as well! That is enough to piss off the pope!