The Beason-Hammon Immigration Law is all about making life in Alabama unbearable for brown people (with a whole lot of collateral damage to legal residents!) but is there a religious component as well, namely an anti-Muslim sentiment? Former Bob Riley policy advisor and current state Senator Bryan Taylor about an arrest under the new law:
Is the first man charged under Alabama's new immigration law an Islamic fundamentalist?
Who knows better than journalists that words do matter ...
The Society of Professional Journalists, hearing an emotional plea from Rebecca Aguilar, a member of SPJ and of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, voted Tuesday to recommend that newsrooms discontinue using the terms "illegal alien" and "illegal immigrant." The resolution from the 7,800-member organization says only courts can decide when a person has committed an illegal act.
...
"I hope that it makes a statement about sensitivity to language. It has an effect on the people it refers to," Albarado said. "I hope it shows people that journalists are concerned about being accurate when they refer to people, plus I hope it helps shape the discussion."
The Alabama media have been pretty good about this already, except when they're quoting from the Beason-Hammon Law which uses the term "illegal alien" several times. By my count, Alabama's law refers to "alien" or "aliens" a whopping 150 times.
Alabama leaders are obsessed with enacting and enforcing the most mean-spirited immigration law in the nation. If they are so concerned about undocumented immigration, why aren't they pressing for comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level, which would have tremendous economic benefits for the US (and Alabama)? Benefits like:
What's left of the law is still horrible, but Judge Blackburn crippled it more than most commentators understand. A detailed analysis is below the fold.
9/29/11
http://www.decaturdaily.com/stories/Federal-judge-guts-much-of-measure-just-4-significant-portions-of-law-stand,85664
Federal judge guts much of measure; just 4 significant portions of law stand
By Eric Fleischauer
A federal judge’s rulings on the Alabama immigration law elicited quick claims by the governor and the state attorney general that it was a victory, but a careful reading of the 234 pages suggests otherwise.
Judge Sharon Blackburn — an appointee of former President George H.W. Bush — left only four significant portions of the law standing in her rulings Wednesday, and two of those just barely.
She upheld Section 15 of the law, which prohibits employers from hiring illegal immigrants and requires all employers — regardless of size — to enroll in the otherwise optional federal E-Verify program. This ruling was no surprise, as the U.S. Supreme Court this year upheld a nearly identical portion of Arizona’s immigration law.
US District Court Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn has ruled on the DOJ's court challenge to Alabama's Beason-Hammon Immigration Law which has been called the nation's cruelest. As you can see from the court order, she blocked four disputed sections of the Alabama law, but allowed five others to stand.
The Judge granted the DOJ's motion with respect to Sections 11(a), 13, 16, and 17 of H.B. 56. That is, the State of Alabama will not be permitted to execute or enforce these sections of the law, pending final judgment:
HB56
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