Revisions to Alabama immigration law

United States, 7th April: Changes are going to be introduced in Alabama’s strict immigration law following severe criticism by businesses, courts and churches alike.

Authors of the Alabama immigration law took the initiative to make amendments in the immigration law of the state.

Revisions aim to make law more effective--A bill was filed by Mike Hammon, a Republican House Speaker, to introduce changes to Alabama immigration law. Also known by the name of HB 56, the law authorizes government officials including police to question about US citizenship status of any person.

According to Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, changes to this immigration law do not, in any way, mean changes in its essence. Rather the aim of such revisions is to make Alabama immigration law more enforceable and strong, asserted Bentley.

Senator Scott Beason (Republican Homewood) said he is committed to make sure the revisions to Alabama immigration law do not make it weak.

The very fact that various states of the US are enacting their respective immigration laws proves that the federal government has failed in its effort to introduce required US immigration reforms.

With new reforms, Alabama immigration law will become fairer, clearer and more effective to curb the menace of undocumented immigration in this US state, he maintained.

Alabama immigration law ‘heartless’—Meanwhile, the Alabama immigration law is being called nothing but a heartless strategy by the state to target the vulnerable undocumented immigrants as well as their children living here.

According to legal director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, Mary Bauer, the bill won’t help in controlling the suffering of a large number of immigrants living in Alabama with their families.

The bill will dig Alabamians even deeper, Bauer maintains.

Echoes Deepak Bhargava, executive director of the Center for Community Change. He adds that the law must be repealed at the earliest as any revisions, whatsoever, cannot fix this immigration law.

As per the amendments, provision requiring schools in Alabama to verify new students’ immigration status before admitting them has been removed from the law.

Moreover, the requirement of US residency proof will be only for issuing of driver’s licenses, license plates and business licenses. Prior to the revisions, US residency proof was also sought for renewal of driver’s licenses and business licenses in Alabama.