Judge blocks Alabama illegal immigration law

A federal judge has blocked, at least temporarily, enforcement of Alabama's tough new law against illegal immigrants. U.S. District Judge, Sharon L. Blackburn, said she needed more time to decide whether the law is constitutional.

BIRMINGHAM, AL (Catholic Online) - The ruling does not kill the law, but only blocks  its implementation until September 28. Blackburn has promised a ruling before then. Both sides took heart at the news. Opponents saw it as a sign the law won't pass constitutional muster, while supporters predict the law will pass since it was not readily dismissed.

For her part, Blackburn did not comment one way or the other. She can either strike down the law, strike only parts of it, or uphold it entirely. 

The law isn't unique, except that it is more broad and more harsh than other similar laws passed in other states. The current law compels schools to verify citizenship, and make it a crime to provide illegal immigrants with wok, housing, or even a ride. It also allows police to jail suspected illegal immigrants. It is these harsh provisions, that can make life very difficult for illegal immigrants in Alabama, that has brought the challenges to bear. 

The Obama administration asserts that only the Federal government can impose such restrictions on who can reside in the country and that a state cannot make it illegal for any person to live within its borders--such is a federal matter.

Defenders of the law say that illegal immigrants are draining scarce public resources during a time of financial crisis for the state and the nation. The goal is to drive illegal immigrants out of the state by denying them work and housing, and arresting them for deportation when police encounter them.

Other, similar laws have been found unconstitutional. All or parts of similar laws from Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, and Utah have been blocked by federal judges. 

Alabama Republicans, who have been the fiercest advocates of the law say if it is struck down, they will keep trying, passing legislation repeatedly until Alabama has the right to protect its borders, according to statements from state House Majority Leader, Micky Hammon. 

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