Good overview of various perspectives concerning Alabama immigration law

[Derechos]

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But increasingly, states are the new battleground in the immigration debate, taking much more stringent steps to curtail illegal immigration. The latest law comes from Alabama, which goes further than other states and is sure to face a legal challenge.

Juana is a typical proud mother. When you walk into her brick ranch house in east Birmingham, photographs of her three children adorn the entry way. One photo shows her oldest daughter, wearing a blue evening gown, grinning with her older brother at their high school prom. The youngest daughter is 11, the only U.S. citizen in the family.

Juana and her husband, Cesar, are from Guatemala. They've lived in Birmingham for more than 12 years without proper documents.

"I understand I'm not legal. I understand I don't have visa when I come here. But I try to not make problem, just work, come home, pay the bills and that's what I do with my family," Cesar says.

A law signed by Republican Gov. Robert Bentley last week makes many aspects of their lives potentially criminal activity — not just Cesar's landscape and construction work, and Juana's housecleaning.

Their landlord is forbidden to rent to illegal immigrants. They can be arrested if they report a crime or are involved in a traffic accident; their son can't enroll in a public college; and when their daughters return to public school, they'll be required to provide the immigration status of both the students and the parents.

See link to read or listen to the rest of article - http://www.npr.org/2011/06/16/137219413/states-take-steps-to-curtail-illegal-immigration