December 10, 2011
The governor of Alabama on Friday said that he is considering rewriting some of the provisions in the illegal immigration law of the state next year.
While Republican Gov. Robert Bentley said that the toughest-in-the-country law will not be repealed, he revealed that he and some legislators are presently developing a bill for next year, which will “clarify and simplify” the law.
In a statement, Gov. Bentley, said, “Through the course of those meetings and the enforcement of the law, it is clear that some parts of the law need revision so that Alabama will have a more effective and more easily enforced law.”
He revealed that the new bill would make sure that the requirements and guidelines that detail the enforcement of the law would be more clearly defined and streamlined. However, Bentley, who signed the measure into law this June, stated specifically that the law will not be repealed.
In the same statement, he said, “The bill’s purpose is to clarify and simplify the current immigration law to ensure that everyone working in Alabama is doing so legally, that law enforcement officers have the clarity, the flexibility and the tools they need to enforce immigration laws, that faith-based, medical and humanitarian services are protected, and that unnecessary burdens on legal residents and businesses are eliminated.”
During the past couple of weeks, the immigration law of Alabama has been strongly criticized after two foreign workers from the state’s auto industry were arrested under the law. The governor said that Alabama is currently “reaching out internationally to reassure our global partners that the business climate in the state is as strong as ever, and our people and communities are as inviting and welcoming as we’ve always been.”
