US seeks halt to Ala. law

Associated Press

ATLANTA

The federal government asked an appeals court Friday to stop Alabama officials from enforcing a strict immigration law that already has driven Hispanic students from public schools and migrant workers from towns, warning that it opens the door to discrimination against even legal residents.

The Department of Justice’s filing to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also said the law, considered by many to be the most stringent immigration measure in the country, could cause considerable fallout as immigrants flee to other states or their native countries.

A coalition of advocacy groups also filed a separate appeal Friday that claims the law has thrown Alabama into “chaos” and left some Hispanics too afraid to go to their jobs and reluctant to send their kids to school.

The court signaled in an order Friday that it wouldn’t decide whether to halt the law until it reviews more arguments from both sides next week. The state must file a brief by Tuesday, and the government must respond by Wednesday. After that, the court could decide whether to intervene by issuing a preliminary injunction.

In the meantime, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said he intends to continue enforcing the hotly disputed law, which allows authorities to detain people suspected of being in the country illegally and lets officials check the immigration status of students in public schools.

Those measures took effect last week after a federal judge upheld them, and they help make the Alabama law stricter than similar laws enacted in Arizona, Utah, Indiana and Georgia. Federal judges in those states have blocked all or parts of those measures.

Justice Department attorneys outlined several problems they have with the Alabama overhaul.

They worry the law is likely to expose legal residents “to new difficulties in routine dealings” and could force federal authorities to deal with low-risk immigrants rather than the most dangerous criminals. And, they say, the attempt to drive illegal immigrants “off the grid” could disrupt both diplomatic relationships and national policy.

“Other states and their citizens are poorly served by the Alabama policy, which seeks to drive aliens from Alabama rather than achieve cooperation with the federal government to resolve a national problem,” the filing said.