Human Rights Watch report finds Alabama immigration law denies basic human rights to undocumented workers
Jan 2 2012
A new report by Human Rights Watch contends that Alabama’s controversial immigration law denies basic human rights to unauthorized immigrants and their families, including U.S. citizen children, while also threatening their access to everyday necessities and equal protection of the law.
The 52-page report, "No Way to Live: Alabama’s Immigrant Law," based in part on first-hand accounts by 57 Alabama residents, finds that the law affects every aspect of the lives of undocumented workers, forcing many to leave the state and harming the ability of such workers to find employment. An unauthorized immigrant who tries to do so is committing a Class C felony, punishable by one to 10 years in prison and up to $15,000 in fines. As a result, state and local agencies have declared that unauthorized immigrants cannot sign up for water and other utilities, live in the mobile homes they own, or renew licenses for their own small businesses.
The report further notes that international law requires that everyone is entitled to fundamental human rights by virtue of their humanity, and that the Alabama law infringes on the rights of children, and potentially thousands of minority citizens and legal residents, is additional reason for concern.
The federal Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the state for its immigration law, contending that federal law preempts it.
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