Civil rights groups take Alabama immigration fight to the UN

Birmingham, AL- The Service Employees Union took the fight over Alabama’s tough immigration law to the UN’s International Labor Organization, alleging that state’s immigration law violates international norms in regards to labor.

The SEIU represents over 1,105 members in Alabama and 2 million people countrywide, and represent more immigrants than any other union.

The SEIU alleges that Alabama’s immigration law, considered the toughest in the nation, and the federal government has failed to respect its obligation to protect and defend the rights of immigrant workers.

Alabama’s immigration law, which is being challenged in federal court, makes it illegal for people to employ, house or transport undocumented immigrants. The SEIU alleges that his violates an immigrant’s ability to bargain collectively.

Civil rights activists, immigration attorneys and other interest groups have long called for comprehensive immigration reform. The SEIU asserts that the federal government’s inability to put an immigration policy in place has caused states to address the problem by passing their own laws, which violate international labor norms.

The SEIU is hoping that the UN’s ILO will come to Alabama and investigate their allegations and pressure the federal government to resolve the immigration issues.

There are millions of undocumented immigrants, who have chosen to bypass immigration lawyers and the legal channels for residency. Many of these individuals live in states that have passed almost draconian immigration laws that some have said specifically target Latinos. Immigration attorneys can make it possible for Latino workers to obtain work visas and residency.