Alabama's legislature passed this year perhaps the toughest, cruelest and most discriminating immigration law in the history of the United States. This law will punish employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens. It will also empower local and state policy to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally. And perhaps the most controversial part of this law is that schools will be required to check the immigration status of their students prior to enrollment. Now I am not concerned about punishing employers for hiring undocumented workers; I am actually in favor of this notion and any provisions that discourage illegal aliens from coming to this country as long as it is part of a FEDERAL Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Immigration enforcement is a FEDERAL responsibility and this law should be blocked by the Supreme Court.
What I am against is the fact that Hispanic people in Alabama, legal or not, will be racially profiled and detained for not carrying their immigration papers on them. Let's say for instance; a Hispanic looking American citizen is driving with a broken tail light. He is stopped by a local police officer and he is asked if he is a US Citizen. He says "yes" and then the officer proceeds to ask him for "his papers" to prove that he is, in fact, a US citizen. Now who, on their right mind, would like to carry their birth certificate with them at all times? This is completely ridiculous. Hundreds of Latinos in Alabama are withdrawing their kids from school or not sending them at all because they are scared immigration will come knocking on their door when they come home from school. I hope this is a wake up call for the Obama administration and Congress to work on Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
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