>The Montgomery Advertiser reported earlier this week that the Alabama House has passed a bill targeting illegal immigration in the state. The bill, HR56 is similar to other bills around the country in that it is targeting both the immigrant and the employer that has hired the immigrant. The Bill puts a lot of the burden on local law enforcement and that has raised some concerns. The Bill passed by a margin of 73-28. Many legislators raised issues such as the cost to enforcement vs. the cost to the social services provided by the state. They also feel there isn’t good information on the number of jobs that the immigrants are taking away from Alabamians.

The bill now moves to the Senate. We will continue to watch this bill as it moves. The bill can be found at the Alabama Legislature’s Bill tracking site. In addition to forcing local law enforcement to maintain a federal law, the bill also requires mandatory E-Verify for all employers in the state. Three offenses and the employer could be barred from doing business in Alabama. This is a very, very tough bill and we will continue to watch is.