Posted on 10/10/2011 5:39:48 AM PDT by upchuck
Foley, Ala. — Trailer by trailer, yard sale by yard sale, and pew by empty pew, a poor but tightknit immigrant community on Alabama’s breezy Gulf Coast is rapidly disintegrating.
This time it is not a tornado or hurricane uprooting families and scattering them to the winds. It is a new state law, largely upheld last week by a federal district judge, that seeks to drive illegal immigrants from the state by curtailing many of their rights, punishing anyone who knowingly employs, houses or assists them, and requiring schools and police to verify immigrants’ legal status.
Other states, including Arizona, Georgia and Colorado, have passed similar laws in the past several years in a growing trend by state legislatures to crack down on illegal immigration within their borders in the absence of comprehensive federal action. But Alabama’s new law is the toughest passed so far, and it is the only one to withstand federal lawsuits and other legal challenges, allowing it to take virtually full effect.
Across Alabama, news of the court ruling has swiftly spread panic and chaos among working-class areas where legal and illegal immigrant families from Mexico and Central America — as many as 150,000 people, by some estimates — live and work at jobs their bosses say local residents largely refuse to do.
In Foley, a sprawling seaside resort town where hundreds of Hispanic immigrants work in restaurants and seafood industries, many families last week were taking their children out of school, piling their furniture into trucks, offering baby clothes and bicycles on front lawns for sale and saying tearful goodbyes to neighbors and co-workers they might never see again.
“This is the saddest thing I have experienced in my 18 years as a priest,” said the Rev. Paul Zoghby,... "It is a human tragedy.”
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Unfortunately, Ms. Constable doesn't bother to list the rights infringed. I wonder what part of illegal she doesn't understand.
Rev. Zoghby, the real tragedy is that the federal government is so lax in enforcing existing laws that the states have to do it in self preservation. That's tragic.
You go Alabama! More, more!
The only thing that gets lefties’ attention more than a law that doesn’t work is a law that DOES work.
Trust me, they aren’t going back to Mexico. They’re headed to neighboring states where there is no such law. Problem NOT solved.
I am worried about here in Mississippi now. We have enough illegals as it is.
The real tragedy is that the Feds are not doing and enforcement. I just wish we would pass the same law here in Texas. But not much chance of that with Senor Perry in the Governor’s mansion.
Well as tragic as it may be for the good citizens of Mississippi, look on the bright side: It’s not as bad as California, YET!
If Perry gets in to the white house expect the same results.
It should be pointed out that Alabama isn’t infringing on anybody’s rights, because non-citizens don’t have rights under the Constitution.
As the S-3 of H&MS-12 - call sign Wiz - used to say, “Sayonara, Buckwheat!”
ROLL TIDE
“”curtailing many of their rights””
I agree with you that it would be nice if WAPO would list the specific rights that are being curtailed rather than make an unsubstantiated allegation.
Of course, the reason WAPO does not list those specific rights is that none are being curtailed.
“This is the saddest thing I have experienced in my 18 years as a priest,” said the Rev. Paul Zoghby,... "It is a human tragedy.”
You know, they did the EXACT same thing when they left their home countries to (illegally) enter the US. Why was THAT not a tragedy?
“many families last week were taking their children out of school, piling their furniture into trucks, offering baby clothes and bicycles on front lawns for sale and saying tearful goodbyes to neighbors and co-workers they might never see again. “
Watch somebody make a “Grapes Of Wrath” sequel, now.
:-\
Instead of leaving, why do they not make applications to become LEGAL Citizens???
This law works like one of those home pest foggers.
Rinse and repeat in all 50 states.
When a State sticks up for its rights, a "poor but tightknit community disintegrates". When the Feds do something with the same effect, it's called "Urban Renewal"...
Sweet home Alabama!
Yep. Washington State is infested with non-english speaking illegals from Mexico and points south. Go to any arraignment calendar in a criminal court and the room is full of them. Where is Homeland Security? Not rounding them up, thats for sure, even though since 2001 there are 20 times more agents here doing jack shit for their paycheck.
Well ... you’re about to get more.
Nah, let the “blue” states suffer the consequences of their ideology.
Perry would beat Obama in getting the welcome mat put out for them.
Have you seen this - “Immigrants fearing deportation make plans for kids”? They’re suddenly signing guardianship of their anchors to friends and coworkers. Someone is definitely organizing this.
http://news.yahoo.com/immigrants-fearing-deportation-plans-kids-131450031.html
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