Alabama’s meanest anti-immigrant law in the country will spread division and hatred

    Most portions of what has been accurately described as the meanest and farthest-reaching anti-immigrant law in the country have been allowed to stand in the State of Alabama in a significant ruling by U.S. District Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn. Blackburn ruled on Wednesday that the laws in the “Heart of Dixie” are consistent with the intent of Congress and that immigration law enforcement was not the unique responsibility of the federal government. Based on the ruling, Alabama police will be able to conduct immigration checks during routine traffic stops and public schools will be required to check students’ immigration status upon enrollment. Judge Blackburn blocked the parts of the law that bar unauthorized immigrants from seeking work, as well as a new traffic penalty for motorists who stop in the roadway to hire day laborers. The following is a statement by Angelica Salas, executive director for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA).

    “A dark cloud has set over America with the imminent implementation of one of the most divisive, discriminatory, and intrusive anti-unauthorized immigration laws in the land.

    The Alabama known for its spring of social justice and civil liberties has returned to the dark ages of vigilantism, inequality, and discrimination based on the color of skin, last name, ethnic origin, and now perceived immigration status.

    The Beason-Hammon Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act has little to do with the protection of Alabama’s citizens and it is definitely a result of the kind of political pandering and lynch-mob mentality that can ultimately lead our nation to the abyss of intolerance and xenophobia.

    We are extremely concerned about the well-being and safety of the residents of Alabama, especially U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, who may be racially profiled and discriminated against through blind enforcement of the new law. In a state where a child’s school registration can mean a deportation order for his/her parents, reason and justice is seem to have been thrown under the bus. Alabama boasts a proud history of resistance, breaking the mold, and going its own way on key social issues. Alabama has also been a beacon of adaptability, respect to hard work, and deference to tradition.  We call on all Alabamians to exercise a strong measure of common sense and humanity and resist the temptation to blame and segregate immigrants living and working your midst.

    The gaping hole left by the federal government’s lack of courage to update our immigration system has become a chimera’s sanctuary and now we must act to sedate it fast. As the most horrible nightmare becomes real in Alabama, we call on President Obama and the Democrat and Republican leaders to condemn the implementation of this ill-intentioned law and get back to work on smart, humane, and sensible updates to our nation’s broken and inconsistent immigration laws.”