Alabama House panel OKs bill to potentially charge illegal immigrants with trespassing

[The Straight Story]

MONTGOMERY - A legislative committee today approved a bill under which an immigrant without valid federal immigration registration would be guilty of trespassing, a crime punishable by as much as a year in jail, simply for being in Alabama.

The Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee of the state House of Representatives passed the bill by voice vote. It could be debated by the full 104-member House as soon as Thursday, said the plan's sponsor, Rep. Micky Hammon, R-Decatur.

''I feel it's going to be strong enough to accomplish our end result of deterring illegal immigrants,'' Hammon said of the proposed law.

The bill, which is modeled after a law passed in Arizona last year, would let a police officer determine someone's immigration status after stopping or arresting the person in connection with another state or local law, if ''reasonable suspicion exists that person is an unauthorized alien.''




http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/03/alabama_house_panel_oks_bill_t_3.html

[Raven]

1. That was tried by the Chief of Police in New Ipswich, NH a few years

ago. It didn't work.

[jody]

3. Did federal or state courts prevent it? nt

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Well, who wants to live in Alabama anyways?

[jody]

4. I do! nt