Tsk, Tsk, Tsk... Alabama What have you done???

Last week immigrants everywhere lost a battle against Alabama. Alabama has made effective the harshest anti-immigration laws in the country. They passed a new law that will make living in Alabama as an illegal immigrant impossible.

The bill says:

• ·         Police officers will have the legal right to act as immigration officers and inquire about immigration status from anyone they find “suspicious”.
• ·         Any and all contracts that are signed by illegal immigrants are automatically forfeited and legally useless
• ·         Providing an immigrant with a car or a ride is now illegal
• ·         All business will have to check immigration status through E-Verify
• ·         All landlords who knowingly rent to illegal immigrants can be legally prosecuted for harboring a fugitive
• ·         This new law has also reached a new level by allowing school officials to question students on their immigration status and that of their parents.

Schools in Alabama are reporting that children all over the state have started to mysteriously disappear; they aren’t attending school for fear of being deported. Certain districts have reported having a high percentage of students withdrawing from school in order to move. Alabama, what have you done? These children aren’t leaving the country, they are crossing the border to other states and in the mean time they are losing valuable education.

Alabama has opened the doors to discrimination. All through the state anybody who might look “Spanish” will be stopped and questioned by police officers. Adults and children will be asked to hand over their proof of legal citizenship and if you can’t immediate produce one; you will be handed over to immigration officials. Entire families will lose their homes, their jobs, their lives because of fear. No one in Alabama would want to provide employment to anyone who might look Spanish because of the new laws and their repercussions.

What happened to “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” I can tell you that people all over Alabama are not feeling free, they are feeling scared. They are feeling the need to run and hide. People who are here legally or illegally all fear what will become of them with these new laws. People are losing their homes and leaving behind bravery in the search for safety. Things will get worse for everyone as long as the federal government stands back and lets states decide what to do with federal issues. The government needs to get their act together and pass a reform bill that will benefit America and the people that live in it.


`Till the next blog
-V

Obama pushes "Pause" on Deportations

Hey Bloggers,
This week I am going to express my ideas about the Presidents latest act on immigration.

President Obama has recently submitted guidelines where he asks that Washington reconsider case by case deportations. What does this ACTUALLY mean? It means that someone somewhere will review deportation cases one by one and decide whether they are serious enough to be deported or not serious enough and can stay in the country where their case will be reviewed. So, what does "serious" mean. If you have been convicted of a felony or have had numerous misdemeanors, Bon Voyage my friends because you will be on the next flight back to the country you came from. On the other hand, if you have citizen children, a clean record, been in this country for numerous years and/or have a legitimate reason for staying in the country, I wish you luck trying to find someone who will authorize the cancellation of your deportation notice before you have to board the plane. While this has provided some with hope for a better tomorrow those that are scheduled to leave in the next month or so are left hanging in the air. While Obama has made this petition official no real office has been setup to start these reviews. People on the verge of deportation need to hear the bell in order to be saved and there is no one to turn to.
Have you ever played with a kid brother or sister? Placed a piece of candy right above their reach and then watched as they jumped up and down, scratching and clawing as they try to reach the candy. This is exactly what the government is doing to immigrant families. They are watching as these people scratch and claw and try to find anything that will  help keep their families together and help keep them here in the US. Not cool Mr. President...

While I personally think this is just a temporary fix for something that deserves some serious attention, it is a start for immigrants everywhere who are anxious to get on with their life in the country they have lived for so long. So Bloggers, now it’s your turn tell me what your opinion is on the issue?

`Till the next blog
-V

Why Immigration?

I am a 20 year old female college student. I am due to graduate in May with my degree in  Early Childhood Education. You may ask why is a future teacher talking about Immigration? The Answer: It was an assignment for my writing for cyberspace class. The reason for the topic: I can empathize, Although I am not an immigrant to this country I personally know many great men and women who have discovered that they are considered aliens in the country they have grown to love among them some of my own family members.
I am going to talk about current issues in immigration, personal stories, stories of people I know and anything you as the reader might want to ask or comment on. I believe with the upcoming election and certain laws rolling around congress there will be a lot of material for me to comment about and inform you about. I am very interested in your opinions so please don't hesitate to comment with an idea, experience or opinion on anything related to immigration you might just give me the topic for next weeks blog... See you them