Alabama's tough immigration legislation could cost the state as much as $11 billion in economic output and another $264.5 million in tax revenue, according to a new analysis by an economist at the University of Alabama. Continue »
More on Alabama and the HB 56 anti-immigrant law today: This American Life at NPR radio has a great broadcast entitled "Reap What You Sow" – a comprehensive story about life in Alabama under HB 56. Continue »
Alabama's new immigration law aims to make life so difficult for illegal immigrants that they will "self-deport." And in a way it's working. Immigrants are fleeing Alabama...but not just the undocumented ones. This and other stories of people living with the unintended consequences of their decisions. Continue »
It's been a little while since we've mentioned Alabama's HB 56, the harshest state immigration law in the land. With the state legislature coming back into session February 7, however, will come renewed attempts to repeal this terrible law. And boy, are there reasons to push repeal. Continue »
State Sen. Scott Beason lives in a strange world. I'm not talking about Gardendale, where the Republican lives. I mean the world of Beason's mind. In Beason's world, a part-time lawmaker with few marketable skills deserves a $53,000-per-year salary, far more than the average Alabama citizen makes. Continue »
ALABAMA'S immigration law, boasted Micky Hammon, an Alabama legislator and one of its co-authors, "attacks every aspect of an illegal immigrant's life. They will not stay in Alabama…This bill is designed to make it difficult for them to live here so they will deport themselves." Continue »
The House Economic Development and Tourism Committee on Thursday previewed new legislation that would help industry recruiters, but the committee also heard that the state's anti-immigration law is being used against them by other states. Continue »
"This is a jobs bill," they said. "This is a jobs-creation bill for Americans," they said. Such were the arguments that Alabama Senator Scott Beason (R) and Rep. Micky Hammon (R) made last year before passing their notoriously anti-immigrant state law, HB 56. Continue »
It's unclear whether farmers in Georgia and Alabama will face a shortage of workers due to tough new laws targeting illegal immigration, but some producers said they have begun changing their plans for planting and harvesting this year's crops. Continue »
Students from several area colleges and universities will announce plans today to hold a week of events protesting Alabama's tough new immigration law. The events will run from Jan. 30 through Feb. 3 and should involve students from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Samford University, Birmingham-Southern College, the... Continue »