News / Law
Appeals court blocks two provisions of Alabama immigration law
On Thursday, a federal appeals court blocked two provisions of Alabama’s immigration law, known as H.B. 56.
The two provisions blocked by the 11th District Court of Appeals include one that restricted business transactions with undocumented immigrants, making it illegal for a business to provide utilities or housing to these individuals, among others. The other blocked provision forbids contracts between illegal immigrants and local and state agencies.
Last October, a court also blocked a provision that would require public schools to check the immigration status of children when they enroll.
Alabama is one of the several states that have passed tough immigration laws, some of which are being challenged by the administration, who believes that immigration enforcement is under the jurisdiction of the federal government.
Many immigration attorneys and activists have criticized the immigration laws by state because they believe it would lead to racial profiling and unjustly targets Latinos. These laws have been dubbed “Papers Please” laws because it makes it legal for local police to ask for proof of legal residency of anyone they suspected of being undocumented.
There are millions of immigrants in the U.S., many of who have gotten the necessary documentation aided by an immigration lawyer. But there are millions more, who are illegal, and have unlawfully entered the country or have stayed after their visas expired. All of these undocumented people face the possibility of deportation so it is advisable to hire an immigration attorney to obtain the documents they need to be legal.
