Feds: Alabama immigration law caused spike in Hispanic student absences
Source: CNN
A top U.S. Justice Department official warned Alabama's education department that the state's controversial immigration law has had "lasting" and possibly illegal consequences for Hispanic school children, according to a letter released Thursday.
" The law has) diminished access to and quality of education for many of Alabama's Hispanic children, resulted in missed school days, chilled or prevented the participation of parents in their children's education, and transformed the climates of some schools into less safe and welcoming spaces for Hispanic children," wrote Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez, head of the federal department's Civil Rights Division.
The legislation, known as HB 56, has several provisions, including one requiring police who make lawful traffic stops or arrests to try to determine the immigration status of anyone they suspect might be in the country illegally.
A federal appeals court has blocked some components, however, including one requiring Alabama officials to check the immigration status of children in public schools.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/03/us/alabama-immigration-law-education/index.html
The most sensible comment (4 upvotes, registration not required): "Alabama, it is a welfare state, it sucks down federal dollars while complaining constantly about the federal government. Almost half of the state is on welfare of some sort, what a joke."
The stupidest comment (1 upvote, deserving of flags too): "Why do liberals hate that they are white?"
Awkward laughter? (3 upvotes) "Shame on you Alabama, that's what you get after five generations of not marrying outside of your family."
pampango
(24,692 posts)Many are from mixed families and fear either additional (state-induced) discrimination or fear for parents or other family members, so citizen-children stay home or leave the state altogether - the "collateral damage" of the state's hunt for illegal immigrants.
I don't think that they care.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)Stuckinthebush
(10,845 posts)and the answer to your question is, "No. They don't care."
You see, Hispanics are never considered to be anything but illegal. Citizen or visa holder. As a life-long Alabamian I can tell you for a fact that the majority of voters in this state are unknowingly ironic at best and dangerously idiotic at worst.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)and our local elections do not cheer me much, either.