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Eli Kantor is a labor, employment and immigration law attorney. He has been practicing labor, employment and immigration law for more than 36 years. He has been featured in articles about labor, employment and immigration law in the L.A. Times, Business Week.com and Daily Variety. He is a regular columnist for the Daily Journal. Telephone (310)274-8216; eli@elikantorlaw.com. For more information, visit beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com and and beverlyhillsemploymentlaw.com

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Thursday, April 12, 2012

Immigration Law Draws Fire in Public Hearing by House Panel Considering Rewrite

Birmingham News: Opponents this morning called Alabama's stringent immigration law hateful, evil and shameful and said a proposed rewrite will not remedy that.

The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee held a public hearing on proposed revisions to the law. More than two dozen speakers addressed the committee. Many told lawmakers that the existing law is hurting the state's image, splitting families and encouraging racial profiling, while a few complained changes will weaken the current law.

"We don't like the immigration bill. We don't want it tweaked. We want it repealed," said Barbara Evans of Lowndes County

"People don't want to come to Alabama when we have an overtly hateful law like HB 56. It has made this state look terrible," Evans said.

Jaime Castello, said he was brought to the United States as a young child, but now is a productive business owner in the poultry industry.

Castello said immigrants were initially welcomed into the country with a "pat on the back" to perform labor.

"Instead of that pat on the back we're getting kicked in the butt, Castello said.

Patricia Armour, an English as a second language teacher from Foley, cried as she described how dozens of her students, who are legal citizens, left the state because their parents were afraid.

"These are families who had deep roots in Alabama. They had good Southern values. They believe in family, hard work and going to church on Sunday," Armour said.

Several pastors spoke out against the bill saying the immigration law is contrary to Alabamians' religious commitment and interferes with their mission to take care of "the least of these.

The Rev. Richard Stryker of Alexander City said the law is turning Alabama into "a place where Jesus would not be welcome."

The opponents dominated the speaking time during the two-hour public hearing before the committee that is expected to approve the bill.

Teresa Ferguson of Albertville, urged Alabama lawmakers to maintain a strong law saying that illegal immigrants were taking jobs and resources from Americans. "The America worker deserves a job, " Ferguson said.

Ferguson said her heart breaks for the families of illegal immigrants faced with leaving because of the law but she said there are "consequences" when you make bad decisions.

Two speakers said they opposed the rewrite because it will weaken the state's existing law.

Elois Zeanah, president of the Alabama Federation of Republican Women, said the rewrite will weaken Alabama's immigration law and she urged lawmakers not to make changes until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on Arizona's similar law.

"Will you bow to Obama's DOJ and money and special interests like the BCA (Business Council of Alabama)?" Zeanah said.

But sponsor Rep. Micky Hammon, R-Decatur, said the revision bill takes a good law and makes it better. Hammon was the sponsor of the 2011 law. He said the changes make the bill clearer and easier to enforce and less cumbersome for legal citizens.

"Many of the opposed speakers said they wanted the law repealed. That is not going to happen," Hammon said.

"We are going to continue to fight illegal immigration in this state. The federal government is not doing it's job so therefore we are going to do it," Hammon said.

"We have no intention of repealing this bill. We are only going to work on clarifications and simplifications and make it easier to for citizens to work through, for businesses to work through it and for law enforcement to understand it and enforce it," Hammon said.

Hammon said he expects the committee will vote on the bill next week.

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