Alabama lawmakers Wednesday began debating a proposed immigration law that’s modeled after Arizona’s get-tough-approach, the
Montgomery Advertiser reported Thursday.
The proposed bill would push out illegal immigrants and deter others from coming to the states. Under the proposed law, all employers would be required to use the federal E-Verify system to check the immigration status of all employees.
In addition, it would require jails to hold people until their immigration status is verified, make it a crime to transport illegal immigrants and allow police to ask for proof of status during stops.
The law would also allow illegal immigrants to be charged with trespassing, which could result in jail time.
"We will be asking for a lot of forms of ID moving forward," said House Majority Leader Micky Hammon, a Decatur Republican who sponsored the bill.
Supporters of the bill say those who are here illegally are a drain on public services during this economic crisis and that they lower wages for Alabamians.
"We have illegal aliens. What is it about illegal that is hard for some people to understand," said Dale Peterson, former Republican candidate for agriculture commissioner.
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