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Home Page > News > New law - now criminal to give illegal immigrant a ride in Alabama

New law - now criminal to give illegal immigrant a ride in Alabama

Strict new laws set to come into effect in September

ANTOINETTE KELLY,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Saturday, June 11, 2011, 9:09 AM

Updated Saturday, June 11, 2011, 9:09 AM

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49 Comments

Under sweeping new Alabama immigration laws, public schools will be required to determine the citizenship status of all students and it will be deemed a crime to transport a known illegal immigrant.

The new laws, due to come into affect September 1, will also give police the power to arrest any person they stop, if they suspect they have violated immigration laws.

The new immigration bill is being heralded as the toughest crackdown in the nation. Republican governor Robert Bentley signed the new bill into law on Thursday.

“We have a real problem with illegal immigration in this country,” Bentley said at the bill signing. “I campaigned for the toughest immigration laws, and I’m proud of the legislature for working tirelessly to create the strongest immigration bill in the country.”

Alabama is home to an estimated 120,000 illegal immigrants according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

Reacting to the new bill, immigration advocates described it as “racist."

“It is clearly unconstitutional. It’s mean-spirited, racist, and we think a court will enjoin it,” said Mary Bauer, legal director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, The Associated Press reported.

Time to revisit immigration reform for Irish

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49 Comments

15 - 49 | See all comments

peterson | Aug 18, 2011, 02:45 PM EDT

Good for Alabama !! God Bless America !!

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seanomelbourne | Jun 18, 2011, 09:16 PM EDT

allentown you fail to answer my first line it is you whom are moribund in this debate.

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maloney | Jun 18, 2011, 08:02 PM EDT

Do you not understand that illegals stop people from all countries around the world from coming to America? Drastic over population will end up making America look like Europe. Of coarse that was your intention in the first place. Liberals always cry bigot when they have no leg to left to stand on.

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allentown | Jun 18, 2011, 11:46 AM EDT

January 21, 2013 will be the beginning of the end of illegal aliens in the USA. You were offering a discussion until you knew you had nothing further to offer and then you lost it all with " is there another agenda?" I am sure we will cross swords again on this topic since Irish Central knows it stirs the blood.

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seanomelbourne | Jun 17, 2011, 10:55 PM EDT

If your proposal was feasible why has it not been adopted by your politicians on both sides.All you are saying is send them back and then let them return when they have papers you'll still have millions of immigrants on US soil a piece of paper.Give them the piece of paper and stabilize the intake of future immigrants or is their another agenda here dare I speak it.

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allentown | Jun 17, 2011, 02:12 PM EDT

Seanomelbourne you keep trying to use sound bites "no government will send back millions" when you know right well that with no work, millions will return voluntary. What is 17% of 50 States? Then you use generalties "an honest bi-partisan policy may be the best way forward". What is in the bi-partisan policy? I'll be the right wing and you be the left wing. My position is: 1) Mandatory E-Verify for all businesses, which legally eliminates all work opportunities for illegal aliens, 2) elimination of santuary cities, 3) no pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens, and 4) over a period of five years, all illegal aliens return home and get on the line to enter the USA legally.

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seanomelbourne | Jun 16, 2011, 09:31 PM EDT

You seem to be missing or ignoring the point Allentown if they cannot work they would not leave home.The illegal population fell overall not just in Arizona.I acknowledge that that there is a problem with illegal immigrants,it's how to fix the problem seems to be the dilemma.As I said previously no government left or right will send back millions of illegals.Sealing the border does not seem to stop the flow and then we forget the thousands who travel by air.An honest bipartisan policy may be the best way forward.

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allentown | Jun 16, 2011, 10:54 AM EDT

Seanomelbourne, You are right when you pointed out that George W. Bush being a pro-amnesty advocate had to be pulled and dragged to enforce our immigration laws late in his Presidency. If as you claim "it is not feasible" is not a sound bite, then explain how in one year the illegal alien population fell by 17% (92,000) after Arizona instituted the E-Verify (employee verification system). If as you claim, sending the illegal aliens home is right wing hypocrisy, then it appears the left wing has abrogated its responsibility to our weakest employable by supporting a pathway to citizenship for all illegal aliens and pushing our weakest employable further into poverty.

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seanomelbourne | Jun 15, 2011, 08:10 PM EDT

The immigrants were not chased back across the border under Bush.Allentown "it's not feasible" is not a sound bite.If they had no jobs to go to why would they bother coming in the first place.Was it not Arizona who passed (or tried ) to pass a law to send illegals back except domestic servants? maybe I have the incorrect state please enlighten me. What right wing hypocrisy do we have here.

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maloney | Jun 15, 2011, 06:09 PM EDT

If the Alabama illegals law were to be enforced no deportation would be needed. The illegals would run back across the border like cockroaches in the light. Then the terrorists would be much easier to see and catch with all the spanish speaking gone. Closing the boarder still must be a priority. As far as the demise of the Republic goes, as long as obama is in the White House we will continue to go downhill. obama will be a one term predident and all will be right with the world once again.

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Brolaur | Jun 15, 2011, 03:52 PM EDT

As long as the US Gov. keeps GITMO open and still practises rendition, surely it has no right to speak about Justice.The US Gov.(NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH The US CITIZENRY)seems to believe that the End Justifies The MEANS eg waterboarding. We are watching demise of The Republic USA.

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allentown | Jun 15, 2011, 12:25 PM EDT

Seanomelbourne, your sound-bite "it's not feasible" is just that. In 2013, those supporters of illegal aliens who say the hell with our weakest employable will face a Romney administration that will make E-Verify (employee verification) mandatory for all businesses. Isn't it ironic that the pro-amnesty supporters who blame the greedy employers for the illegal alien problem also oppose this E-Verify legislation. I guess it's because "it's not feasible".

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seanomelbourne | Jun 15, 2011, 01:47 AM EDT

Allen your 22million is not a credible number. No government left or right will expel 7 million illegal immigrants it is not feasible.your Right wing friends will not allow their cheap labor to slip through their bling soaked fingers.It beggars belief that a so called first world country would allow a base rate of about $7 an hr and pay illegals even less.I believe you should spend your time writing to your politicians to lift the living standards of ordinary Americans by lifting the 3rd. world base rate you are paid.

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allentown | Jun 14, 2011, 07:44 PM EDT

Isn't it ironic that the pro-amnesty posters on this board always say that: "Immigration is a complex problem". What is complex about illegal aliens go home? I previously posted that NumbersUSA points out that we have upwards of 22 million citizens unemployed, under-employed, or have given-up hope of ever finding a job. Today 7 million illegal aliens hold jobs in the USA that are not in agricultural, such as construction. The pro-amnesty posters maintain illegal aliens should be given a pathway to citizenship and they should keep those 7 million jobs and to hell with the weakest employable in our country.

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seanomelbourne | Jun 14, 2011, 12:05 AM EDT

I'll try again Maloney. I take umbrage at your comments that I am jealous of the USA. We here in OZ have a standard of living you yanks could only hope for.You are fed a daily dose of God/country and guns from the cradle to the grave and you just cannot move on(remember the bubble).The big picture alludes you as it doe's Allentown.It may seem strange to you but the countries with the best quality of life have left of centre governments.

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