To: Governor Kay Ivey
Accept the 11th Circuit's ruling on HB 56
Governor Bentley, we call on you to accept the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rulings on Alabama's misguided, mean-spirited and unconstitutional immigration law and abandon any further appeals on the questions of contracts, harboring/transport or school registration. For Alabama to continue to attract new businesses and talent, we should be welcoming and hospitable–not malicious and petty. And we shouldn't be wasting precious state resources defending a law whose most punitive provisions clearly have no chance of surviving the Supreme Court.
Why is this important?
Several provisions of Alabama's disgraceful anti-immigration law were found unconstitutional in a series of rulings by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. They include invalidating any contracts with undocumented immigrants (making it virtually impossible to get a lease), harboring illegal aliens and the requirement that parents and students disclose their legal status to enroll in school. Days ago, Governor Bentley announced his decision to appeal the ruling to the full Court "based on principle"–claiming that Alabama must defend its rights against federal intrusion.
The call for states rights' is a time-honored tradition for laws that oppress and disenfranchise people of all types in the southern United States. It is time for Alabama to accept the widely-held and fully constitutional "principles" that all children have a right to education and all people a right to shelter free of discrimination, harassment or fear. And it is time for Alabama to quit wasting money it doesn't have defending the indefensible on a fool's errand in court.
The call for states rights' is a time-honored tradition for laws that oppress and disenfranchise people of all types in the southern United States. It is time for Alabama to accept the widely-held and fully constitutional "principles" that all children have a right to education and all people a right to shelter free of discrimination, harassment or fear. And it is time for Alabama to quit wasting money it doesn't have defending the indefensible on a fool's errand in court.