ACLU Files Emergency Request to Block Alabama Anti-Immigrant Law Pending Appeal

September 30, 2011

CONTACT: ACLU Media, (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The American Civil Liberties Union and a coalition of civil rights organizations today filed a notice of appeal of yesterday’s federal court ruling in their lawsuit challenging Alabama's extreme anti-immigrant law. The groups also requested that several key provisions of the law be temporarily blocked while yesterday’s ruling is appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.

‪If allowed to go into effect, the provisions the coalition asked the court to block in its emergency request would:

Chill children's access to schools by requiring school officials to verify the immigration status of children and their parents.
Mandate all immigrants to carry their "papers" and present them upon request.
Authorize police to demand "papers" showing immigration or citizenship status during routine traffic stops.
Prohibit undocumented immigrants from entering into business transactions in the state, which could prevent them from receiving public utilities such as water and sewage services.
Prohibit the enforcement of contracts if either of the participants in the contract is undocumented, such that child support, rental, loan and other agreements would become unenforceable.

‪Provisions that would have criminalized the solicitation of work and provisions that criminalized transporting undocumented friends and family were blocked by yesterday's court order.