Consequences

Article: The Disastrous Consequences of Alabama's Anti-Immigration Law
Care to Make a Difference

"...Lives up to its billing as the nation’s toughest immigration bill and goes well beyond the Arizona law (S.B. 1070) on which it was based."

Bans undocumented students from secondary education.
Even if police are on a routine traffic stop, they demand proof of immigration status from anyone they suspect of being in the United States illegally.
Any contract entered into with an illegal alien is invalid, including rent.
It is a crime to be undocumented.

According to the article, the negative consequences include: 

• Loss of up to $10.8 billion of Alabama's GDP
• Loss of 140,000 jobs
• Loss of $264.5 million in state tax revenue

The greatest loss was the "social and civil rights" of those living in Alabama. 
2,285 Latino students did not show up to school






Reflection
This article was written by the Center for Action Progress which is a progressive group that works towards bettering the lives of Americans through ideas and action. Their believe is in an open, effective and pragmatic government. 


This article was difficult for me because of its vagueness... The past two posts concerning the Alabama Anti-Immigration Law were interesting to read, and rather intense.  I would like to research and compare the Alabama State Law to the Arizona, Wisconsin and Federal Law.  From what it sounds like, Arizona may even be more strict.  I feel that the law will have serious consequences if ALL undocumented students are banned from secondary education - my question is although it may be affecting the tax payers, what is the banning of students helping in the long run? I see more uneducated, low skilled migrants...
Second, I can see potential for large discrimination suites between the education system as well as the police having the ability to ask for identity because of a suspicion. If a person has nothing to hide, should it be fine? Or is this targeting the Mexican/Latino demographic.  I'd hope the police would have good intentions of stopping people because of a legit traffic reason, not because of racial suspicions. 


I am torn though because the Center for Action Progress works towards helping AMERICANS. Undocumented immigrants/aliens/people have feelings, a large work ethic, families, hardships, language barriers, etc. and DO need help. But as far as the American Constitution, they are not legally Americans.  So when the article states that there are "social and civil rights" being violated, I question the rights of these individuals.  In the global perspective, every individual has rights, but rights are earned through paying taxes, citizenship, becoming legal, the whole process. Talking to fellow legal immigrants, I have sensed an even harder expectation from them towards their own demographic - they worked hard to be in this country and so should the other immigrants coming to the United States. 


Instead of or along the efforts of banning, crimes and cranking up the law, I'd like to see efforts to help these immigrants become legal.  In the next post, I will describe some effects of undocumented employees in the work force. Very interesting and without them, we may need them more than we think. 


I see the consequences listed above, but they are too vague for me. In the "loss of 140,000 jobs" WHO/what demographic was originally employed in those positions?  And HOW did the state of Alabama develop the losses? My guess, mirroring the following post, is that the immigrants take those jobs, usually lower end that American's don't traditionally take and this helps the economy.


Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/the-disastrous-consequences-of-alabamas-anti-immigration-law.html#ixzz1s4aZIUI5