In praise of Alabama?

Alabama has the toughest immigration laws in the country.  The laws require police to check the immigration status of any one they detain, stop, or arrest, who they have a “reasonable suspicion” of being in the country illegally.

It prohibits illegal immigrants from working obviously, but they are also prevented them from even soliciting work,  attending public universities, or entering into a “business transaction” with the state.

Not only this but the law also invalidates ANY contract to which the illegal immigrant was a party.  So if you own an apartment complex and some of your tenants are illegal then your lease with them is null and void.  Tough luck.

In fact not only are you not allowed to rent to illegal immigrants but you are not allowed to give them a ride in your car!  So if you see a pregnant woman walking down the street in the rain because her car broke down you better not stop to pick her up because you might be breaking the law!

According to the law you are not allowed to give shelter to an illegal immigrant and schools are required to determine if  their students are illegal or not.

OK as much as all this makes my blood boil there is a plus side.

In a world that is rapidly decentralizing, central powers will fight to keep it from happening.  They want to keep control.   “Put up damns to stop the rising tide.”

But they will fail.  And hopefully the failure will be a beacon to others.

In September a federal judge struck down four of the provisions of the Alabama law including the section prohibiting citizens from “harboring” illegal immigrants.

In October an appellate court blocked the provisions requiring schools to determine if students immigration status as well as the part making it illegal for immigrants to not have proper identification.

In December a district judge struck down the section forbidding illegal immigrants from doing business in the state.

Now Alabama, in all their wisdom, included a clause in the law that says if one section is struck down the other sections will remain in effect,  which they have.

Micky Hammon, co author of the bill said:

This bill is designed to make it difficult for them to live here so they will deport themselves.   Despite how desperately illegal immigrant sympathizers have tried to portray this law as somehow harmful to our state’s economy, the truth is more Alabamians are working today thanks in part to our decision to crackdown on illegal immigration.

It appears from anecdotal reports that he is right.  Thousands of Latinos, both legal and illegal, have left the state.  Because even with sections of the law being struck down the Latino community knows they are not wanted.

So what is the cost?

Ask Detlev Hager.  Hager is an executive at Mercedes-Benz, who opened their first U.S. factory in Alabama creating over 40,000 jobs and boosting the economy by over $6.8 billion dollars.   Well that did not stop Hager from going to jail when he was caught without proper identification!  Oops!

Ask the farmers whose crops were rotting on the vine because there was no one to harvest them!  Alabama farmer Wayne Smith says   “Does America know how much this is going to affect them?  They’ll find out when they go to the grocery store.  Prices on produce will double.”

A local Alabama economist figures that with the lost tax revenue, enforcement costs and productivity declines the law will cost billions.  This is not to mention the opportunity costs if other multinational companies like Mercedes-Benz decide not to come to the state.  Nor to mention the soft costs of unreported crime from victims afraid to go to the police.

The failure of this law should help warn other states to avoid the same mistake.  We have to praise Alabama for making such a colossal mistake.  We write often about not being afraid to make mistakes for that is the only way we truly learn.

So let’s take this opportunity to watch and learn.

Have a great day!