U.S. District Judge to Rule on Alabama Immigration Law Today
Alabama’s H.B. Bill 56 was signed into law in June and today, U.S. District Judge Sharon Blackburn will be deciding its fate.
Pretty immediately after the bill was signed into law, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit challenging the law reasoning that parts of it conflict with federal immigration law and undermine federal immigration objectives.
The controversial law requires proof of citizenship when renewing or applying for a driver’s license and requires all employers to use a state-wide database to verify citizenship — important for employers as it’s illegal to knowingly hire an illegal alien.
If implemented, the law mandates all public schools to check the immigration status of all of its students and criminalizes many activities that could be seen as aiding an alien, such as giving them a ride.
In addition to the DOJ, the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Immigration Law Center, Asian Law Caucus, Asian American Justice Center and the Episcopalian church’s Bishop for the Diocese of Alabama, Rev. Henry N. Parsley have also challenged the law.
Read more here.
Thoughts?
