Don't look now, but if you live in the state of Alabama or just happen to be passing through, don't ever get the appitite for Mexican food, because the state has just outlawed it. OK, so I'm only kidding; but, don't be surprised if the fine folks in Alabama's state government decides to do just that eventually. After all, as of September 1st, 2011, they will have the dubious distinction of being the state with the toughest
anti-immigration immigration laws. Oh you think Arizona's shenanigans were bad? Checkout what Alabama has done:
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama vaulted past Arizona on Thursday with what is being called the most restrictive law in the nation against illegal immigration, requiring schools to find out if students are in the country lawfully and making it a crime to knowingly give an illegal immigrant a ride.
Advocacy groups promised to challenge the sweeping measure, which like Arizona's law also allows police to arrest anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant if the person is stopped for some other reason. In addition, it requires all businesses to check the legal status of workers using a federal system called E-Verify.
"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.
It takes effect Sept. 1.
Republican Gov. Robert Bentley, who signed it into law Thursday, expressed confidence it would withstand any legal challenges.
"We have a real problem with illegal immigration in this country," he said. "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 has an estimated 120,000 illegal immigrants, a nearly fivefold increase from a decade ago, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. Many of them are believed to be working on farms, at chicken processing plants and in construction.
One of the legislation's sponsors, GOP Sen. Scott Beason, said it would help the unemployed by preventing illegal immigrants from getting jobs in the state. Alabama's unemployment rate stood at 9.3 percent in April, the most recent figure available.
"This will put thousands of Alabamians back in the work force," Beason said.
I don't know just the estimated legal workforce population in the state of Alabama. However, the total population of the state is somewhere around 5 million according to data from the Census Bureau's 2009
figures. That would mean, that there must be a lot of people not able or allowed to work (you know, like those fat rednecks riding those hoverounds at Walmart) if 120,000 undocumented workers have stolen all the jobs. Either that or their weren't enough jobs to begin with down in good Ole Alabama.
