Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano appeared before a House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday and stated that her department is not helping Alabama implement their controversial law aimed atillegal immigrants. And she added the government is working to block the law in federal court.
Various states have similar laws tied up in court. But Alabama’s is considered one of the toughest and would require immigrants to carry documentation on them at all times or face arrest, which critics assert could lead down the slippery slope of racial profiling. This is just one of the many aspects of the law that draw criticism.
These states laws have been enacted because the federal government has not sufficiently curtailed illegal immigration. A criticism Napolitano dismisses. Immigration reform is a very prominent issue in the national discourse as most people for or against agree that it is long overdue.
Illegal immigrants come to the US in search of a better way of life and will do what is necessary to live here even if it means running from the law. Many do not hire immigration attorneys to navigate the system. They face incarceration and deportation to their native countries without the proper documentation.
The federal government asserts that they are the final authority on immigration matters. Certain aspects of Alabama’ immigration law were upheld in a U.S. District Court could would require schools to check the legal status of students and allows officers to determine citizenship in routine traffic stops or criminal arrest. Legal status doesn’t necessarily have to be citizenship; immigration lawyers are also able to get visas for immigrants.
There is no easy solution to the issue, but criminal charges can be avoided when individuals utilize immigration lawyer to obtain the proper documentation.
