After a federal judge in Alabama refused to halt key provisions of the state’s controversial immigration law last week, the Department of Justice filed an emergency appeal Friday with the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to stop the law from being enforced.
The appeal argues that Alabama’s tough immigration new law attacks the federal government’s authority on immigration issues.
Modeled in part after Arizona’s controversial SB1070, the Alabama immigration law requires schools to verify students’ immigration status and allows police to check the immigration status of anyone they stop, arrest or detain.
The law has already made an impact across the state as thousands of illegal immigrants have opted to stay home from work and school to avoid the risk of being deported.
Several groups have also filed briefs of support in the federal government’s battle against the immigration law, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
In an official statement ACLU Alabama Executive Director Olivia Turner argued that, “By signing this bill into law, Gov. [Robert] Bentley is willing to sacrifice the civil liberties of all Alabamans, eroding the rights of millions of people living and working in this state.”
“This law undermines core American values of fairness and equality, subjecting both citizens and non-citizens alike to unlawful racial profiling, and does nothing to ensure the safety and economic security of Alabama,” Turner said.