After advocates stood together and challenged this unconstitutional law, federal courts invalidated many of its worst provisions. But now many of these bad ideas have returned. The Alabama Senate approved SB 53 – a bill that contains some of the same harmful provisions that the old law did.
The House Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on the bill April 16 at 1:30 p.m.
Email your representative today and urge them to vote NO on SB 53.
SB 53 by Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, would undermine civil rights, increase racial profiling and reduce community trust with law enforcement. It also would create an unfunded financial burden on localities and cost Alabama taxpayers money to defend in federal court.
The bill would create a new felony crime of “human smuggling” for anyone who knowingly transports a person they know to be undocumented into Alabama, with limited exceptions only for attorneys or school employees in limited circumstances. Many faith-based organizations provide support to unaccompanied migrant children who are seeking to reunite with families in Alabama. This proposal could criminalize these actions.
Email your state representative now and urge them to vote NO on SB 53.
This bill also would require local law enforcement staff and jail administrators to try to determine the immigration status of many individuals. This should be a federal task, not a state one.
- Jail administrators do not have the training to assess accurately whether someone is here lawfully. We already have seen instances of legal immigrants being illegally detained by local officials.
- This bill encourages racial profiling, as a jail administrator may seek to determine if a person is an undocumented immigrant just by speaking to them.
- The bill doesn’t require an interpreter to be provided during such inquiries, adding to potential confusion and overreach.
Please email your state representative today and ask them to vote NO on SB 53.
Follow our partners at ACIJ, ACLU and HICA for more updates on actions to oppose illegal, immoral and unconstitutional attacks on our immigrant neighbors.