As children all across the country head back to school, undocumented students and parents in Alabama no longer have to fear deportation since schools will no longer be required to inquire about their legal status.
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the provision of Alabama’s immigration law intended to determine the legal status of school children wrongfully singles them out. Although a number of states have enacted very tough immigration laws Alabama was the only one to include status checks for public school attendants.
The judges felt the provision would deter undocumented children from attending school. Alabama educators last fall reported that a large number or students withdrew from school after the law was signed.
While the court blocked the school provision, they upheld the provision which allows police to check the legal status of people they stop or arrest and suspect of being in the country illegally, often referred to as the “papers please" provision.
Federal courts have upheld the “papers please” provision included in both Arizona’s and Georgia’s immigration laws.
But the ACLU pledges to continue their fight against this provision in Alabama, Arizona, and Georgia on the grounds that it can lead to racial profiling which is unfairly targeted towards Latinos.
There are a number of reasons that immigrants chose to enter the country illegally. One reason may be the complexity of the legal immigration system. While it is complicated, an immigration attorney can help simplify the process and prevent immigrants from being caught up in the detention and deportation system.
