A Federal District Judge today upheld most of Alabama’s new immigration enforcement law, H.B. 56. This ruling meaning those provisions are now in effect while lawsuits from parties as varied as the U.S. Department of Justice, ACLU, left-wing religious groups and – outrageously – the Mexican Government, move forward in her courtroom.

Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn’s ruling represents a defeat for Eric Holder, as the main provision was upheld. And it represents a major victory for the people of Alabama, for Stand With Arizona, whose attorneys helped draft the legislation, and for Americans in other states trying to pass similar, Arizona-style laws in their own states. The ruling follows a ruling in June by Judge Thomas Thrash upholding most of Georgia’s enforcement law, H.B. 87.

As part of Judge Blackburn’s ruling, the following provisions and sections are now in effect in the state of Alabama.

APPROVED:

• The provision of H.B. 56 related to requiring police stops and detentions of people suspected of being in the country illegally – the most critical provision opposed by Holder, which was blocked in Arizona.
• Sections requiring schools to check the citizenship status of children.
• Sections that would nullify contracts knowingly entered into with unauthorized aliens.
• The section making it a felony for “an alien not lawfully present in the United States” to apply for a license plate, driver’s license, business license or other business license.

The provisions/sections Blackburn has blocked, pending trial, include the following.

BLOCKED:

• Provision stopping a “unauthorized alien” from seeking work as an employee or independent contractor.
• Section criminalizing those who assist unauthorized aliens. Blocked a large section which would make it against the law to “conceal, harbor, transport or encourage” an illegal alien to stay in Alabama. (including landlords). – this provision was most strongly contested by left-wing pastors, who routinely help illegal aliens break the law and obtain benefits
• Portion of the law that would stop businesses from deducting the wages they pay to unauthorized aliens from their state taxes.
• Portion creating a new protected class of workers. (The new law would have allowed workers who were not hired or fired instead of unauthorized aliens to sue employers for discrimination).

Now it is on to the trials. But already, despite the sections she blocked, the first two provisions she allowed – mandatory police checks, and citizenship checks of children in schools – will have an enormous deterrent effect on illegals who were heretofore considering remaining in Alabama, and we expect a very large exodus to follow, in addition to the reports we have already received regarding thousands who have already fled.

Thank you Judge Blackburn, for respecting Federal law, and the will of the people – something the hyper-partisan Judge Susan Bolton arrogantly pushed aside in blocking most of Arizona’s common sense law S.B. 1070.

Stand With Arizona is spreading our efforts to 22 additional states this fall and next year, in order to pass Arizona-style legislation in as many as we can, including Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana. We have boots on the ground in every state, and we have a new team of attorneys to help draft bills that will continue to be upheld and advance the cause. Please join us in our efforts.

Even when half of an Arizona-style law is blocked by a judge, the remaining provisions push illegal aliens out, allow unemployed Americans greater access to jobs, and massively cut expenses for healthcare, education and incarceration for the states who pass the laws. THIS IS WHY WE MUST PRESS ON. In every state we can. Creating a critical mass of states enforcing the law – doing the job the Feds refuse to do.

formerly/http://thearizonasentinel.com/2011/09/29/stand-with-arizona-by-john-hill/