'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
Alabama Republicans who pushed through the nation's toughest law against illegal immigrants are having second thoughts amid a backlash from big business, fueled by the embarrassing traffic stops of two foreign employees tied to the state's prized Honda and Mercedes plants.
Alabama's attorney general has become the highest-ranking Republican official to suggest throwing out parts of his state's tough new immigration law, as he recommended that lawmakers repeal some portions of the statute that have been put on hold by federal courts and clarify some others.
On Oct. 14, a federal judge blocked key portions of Alabama's new immigration law after several groups, including the Obama Justice Department and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), asked for an injunction. The Justice Department claims that states that assist in enforcing federal immigration laws are violating the constitutional separation of powers.
A federal district judge halted Alabama's tough new immigration law Monday just days before it was to take effect, making it the latest state to see a crackdown law blocked by a court.
Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange said witnesses scheduled to testify at trial will reveal new information about the cause of the disaster.
State Attorney General Luther Strange said his office was still reviewing the decision, and added: "We are pleased that the court recognized the validity of our arguments and upheld several provisions of Alabama's law."
