Alabama Passes Anti-Immigration Law, ACLU Responds

Gov. Robert Bentley, R-AL, signs H.B. 56 into law.
(Source: State of AL/CNN)

“This law is an outrageous throw-back to the pre-Civil Rights era, going beyond the discriminatory and unconstitutional police practices that we’ve seen in other states. It blocks the schoolhouse doors to children, will result in people being turned away when they try to rent a home, and places burdens on people of color at the voting booth. By signing this bill into law, Gov. Bentley has codified official discrimination in the State of Alabama.” – Cecillia Wang, director of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project

 Late last Thursday, Alabama’s legislature passed HB 56, a law that, among other things, bars undocumented students from enrolling in public colleges, requires children to show proof of citizenship when enrolling in public kindergarten and grade school, and requires police to demand proof of citizenship from those they suspect are not authorized to be in the U.S. during a stop.

In addition, the bill makes it a crime to knowingly rent housing to an undocumented immigrant and makes it illegal for an undocumented immigrant to apply for a job.  It stops cities from passing legislation that defends undocumented persons, and calls for the use of E-Verify by all Alabama employers to determine the legal status of their employees.

Yesterday, The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Alabama announced that they will file, in association with other civil rights groups, a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of HB 56.  Olivia Turner, executive director of the ACLU of Alabama, had this to say:

"By signing this bill into law, Gov. Bentley is willing to sacrifice the civil liberties of all Alabamans, eroding the rights of millions of people living and working in this state. This law undermines core American values of fairness and equality, subjecting both citizens and non-citizens alike to unlawful racial profiling, and does nothing to ensure the safety and economic security of Alabama.”

Yesterday, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley signed the bill, and it is expected to go into effect September 1st.

Sources: ACLU, New York Times, Immigration Impact