After threats to federal funding cuts from the U.S. Department of Justice, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley released a statement Friday promising tweaks to the state’s illegal immigration law.
Thomas Perez, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general, sent a letter to local police departments in Alabama this week warning them about the enforcement of the law. The letter threatened to cut federal funding to those departments who unlawfully enforce the illegal immigration law.
The governor announced his joint commitment to tweak the law Friday with Alabama State House Speaker Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn) and Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh (R-Anniston).
The law requires schools to report students and parents who are not legal residents and also issues harsh penalties to employers who hire undocumented workers. Additionally, illegal immigrants are forbidden in engaging in government transactions of any kind.
“We recognize that changes are needed to ensure that Alabama has not only the nation’s most effective law, but one that is fair and just, promotes economic growth, preserves jobs for those in Alabama legally, and can be enforced effectively and without prejudice,” Mr. Bentley said in the statement posted to his website.
“At the same time, we are in complete agreement that we will not compromise our ability to make sure that everyone who lives and works in our state does so legally. There is nothing unkind, unjust or unwarranted about asking everyone in Alabama to obey the law,” the governor added.
According to Reuters, there have recently been incidents where foreign auto workers were detained by police after they were unable to produce proof of legal residency, despite having valid passports.
The Obama administration sued the state of Alabama after the law was passed, claiming it is unconstitutional for states to set their own immigration laws. Other states have attempted to enact similar illegal immigration laws, but failed to get federal courts to pass them.
According to the Pew Hispanic Center, there were an estimated 120,000 undocumented immigrants in Alabama in 2010. Since the enactment of the law, many Hispanic residents, some of whom were legal residents, have moved out of the state.
“The leadership of the Alabama House and Senate and I are working together to develop a bill for consideration at the beginning of the next legislative session,” Governor Bentley stated Friday.
Over the past two months, Mr. Bentley has met with business leaders who’ve complained about the law, to discuss how best to tweak it in favor of all parties involved.
“Through the course of those meetings and the enforcement of the law, it is clear that some parts of the law need revision so that Alabama will have a more effective and more easily enforced law,” Mr. Bentley said.
