Alabama Law Will Deny Illegal Immigrants Water Service
September 22, 2011 by carolthompson
An Associated Press article has reported that an illegal immigrant was denied water and sewer service in order to comply with Alabama’s new immigration law. The catch is, the law has yet to take effect. To read full story, please click on the link.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44613538
Federal Judge Issues Preliminary Injunction Against Georgia Immigration Law
June 30, 2011 by carolthompson
CNN reported that a federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction that will temporarily block key provisions of the Georgia illegal immigration law. U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash, Jr. ruled that state and local law enforcement officers would not have the authority to arrest, detain, or prosecute anyone based on sections 7 and 8 of this particular law while the injunction remains effective. In his opinion, Thrash wrote, “The apparent legislative intent is to create such a climate of hostility, fear, mistrust, and insecurity that all illegal aliens will leave Georgia.”
Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens intends to appeal Judge Thrash’s ruling.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011 Reintroduced
June 23, 2011 by carolthompson
The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011 was reintroduced by U.S. Senators on June 22nd. The bill includes the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) which would allow U.S. nationals the right to sponsor foreign-born same-sex partners for U.S. citizenship.
The bill also includes measures that would strengthen border security, require that an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants register with the U.S. government, pay their taxes, learn English, pay a fine, pass a background check, and complete the appropriate paperwork to apply for permanent residence.
The following Senators sponsored the introduction of the bill:
- Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
- Senator Harry Reid ( D-NV)
- Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
- Senator John Kerry ( D- MA)
- Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)
- Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
- Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
To view the entire bill, please visit govtrack.us.
Alabama Joins State Crackdown on Illegal Immigrants
June 15, 2011 by carolthompson
The Chicago Tribune and CNN recently reported that another state has enacted tough new laws to curb illegal immigration. The Tribune and CNN reported that Alabama has surpassed Arizona in creating stricter illegal immigration legislation by passing measures that are even more restrictive than Arizona’s illegal immigration laws. The new Alabama law contains the following provisions:
- Allows the police to arrest anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant if the person is stopped for another reason;
- All businesses are required to use the federal e-verify system to check the legal status of workers;
- It becomes a crime for landlords to knowingly rent to an illegal immigrant; and
- Schools must perform background checks to verify immigrant status of their students.
The CNN article also quoted Mary Bauer, the legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center, as stating,”It [the new law] makes it a crime for the U.S. citizens to give people a ride if they turn out to be undocumented. It doesn’t even have an exception for churches that are providing shelter for food or rides.”
Proponents of the new Alabama law believe that it will increase the number of jobs available for U.S. citizens, pointing out that Alabama’s unemployment rate currently stands at 9.3%. However, proponents of the new law fail to recognize that the jobs most illegal immigrants hold are positions that most U.S. citizens are not so eager to take - farm work, chicken processing plants, and heavy labor.
The Alabama law will take effect on September 1st of this year. Once the new law is in effect, Alabama will join Georgia and Arizona in the latest attempt by states to crackdown on illegal immigration.
The Dangerous Road to Freedom: 500 Immigrants Found in Semi-Trailers
May 25, 2011 by carolthompson
Written By: Stephen Batten, J.D.
If you want to read a well-reported, cogently written story about the dangers immigrants from Central America face as they try to make it to the United States, please read the following piece by Catherine E. Shoichet of CNN posted this past Friday on May 20, 2011 11:25 a.m. EDT. (http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/05/19/mexico.migrants/index.html?hpt=C1) [Read more]
The Basics of Immigration
May 17, 2011 by carolthompson
Written By: Stephen Batten, J.D.
Welcome to the basics of immigration. This blog is about the immigrant experience in the United States - people from other nations who for family, unification, humanitarian, or employment reasons leave their home countries and make the journey to the United States. It is a journey that has become increasingly complicated since the tragic events of September 11, 2001. [Read more]
