Immigration Reform & Alabama’s Anti-Immigrant Law HB56

Why do immigrants come to the U.S.? Better quality of life Business/Work Better opportunities for children’s education Fleeing unstable political and economic situations NAFTA/CAFTA

Immigration 101 Ways to immigrate: Family-based petition Employment-based petition Humanitarian status Diversity lottery

Immigration 101 Citizen Legal Permanent Resident Visas o Student o Work o Asylum o U/T Visas for victims of crime or human trafficking Undocumented o EWI o Overstayed Visa

Immigration 101 There are an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., ¾ of whom are Hispanic (Pew Hispanic Center, 2009) Costs: Family-based Green Card Petition=$1560; Citizenship/ Naturalization=$680 Backlog for family-based petitions from Mexico: January 2012 Unmarried child (>21) of citizen 1993 Spouse or child (<21) of LPR 2009 Married child of citizen 1992 Sibling of citizen 1996

What was HB56 intended to do? Create new crimes for any official agency that impedes the enforcement of the law. (BLOCKED) Create a redundant ban of undocumented immigrants from state and federally-funded services Bar students who are not U.S. Citizens, LPR’s, or non-immigrant visa holders from access to public universities and colleges. (BLOCKED) Redundantly mandate E-Verify for businesses who get contracts from the state.

What was HB56 intended to do? Create a state-level crimes for anyone who is in Alabama without current immigration status. (BLOCKED) Prohibit undocumented immigrants from soliciting work. Prohibits the hiring of day laborers (regardless of immigration status). BLOCKED Mandate that local law enforcement verify an individual’s immigration status in the course of a detention or arrest if they have reasonable suspicion that that person is undocumented.

What was HB56 intended to do? Create news crimes for: –Harboring (BLOCKED) –Transporting (BLOCKED) –Renting to (BLOCKED) –False ID’s Mandate E-verify for all employer Prohibit bond for an undocumented immigrant (or an immigrant whose status has not yet been verified)

What was HB56 intended to do? Give new powers to the Alabama Department of Homeland Security Negate contracts entered into with undocumented immigrants Require schools to verify the immigration status of all students and their parents in order to report this information to the legislature (BLOCKED) Prohibits state business transactions with undocumented immigrants (including business licenses and license plates) Creates a redundant voter ID law

Why is HB56 so controversial? Federal preemption Unconstitutionality Could lead to racial profiling, habeas corpus, etc. Chills the effect of Plyer v. Doe Makes many average, U.S. citizens criminals Makes ALL immigrants “suspect” Economic realities—labor shortages, lost foreign investment, cost of litigation, cost of implementing new policies Destroys trust between immigrants and local law enforcement

The system’s broken. How do we fix it? Repeal AL’s Anti-immigrant Law HB56 Comprehensive Immigration Reform o Broad faith group support o Includes:  Earned path to citizenship  Enforcement  Expanded temporary work visa programs for low-skilled labor  DREAM Act DREAM Act Trade Policy Reform o Repeal NAFTA and CAFTA

Resources Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Sojourners: Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama: Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ACIJ): Human Rights Watch: Issued report in Dec 2011, “No Way to Live”

Thank you! For more information, contact: Victor Spezzini Community Organizer Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (¡HICA!)