This week, a federal district court judge in Alabama temporarily enjoined the state’s new immigration enforcement law, HB 56. The law—which covers a wide array of immigration matters including employment, voting, education, and enforcement—was scheduled to take effect Sept. 1. However, due to the temporary injunction, stakeholders will have to wait possibly until the end of the month for a ruling on the legality of the law (according to her order, the judge will issue an opinion on the merits of the case no later than Sept. 28).
Despite arguing in its complaint against Alabama that the federal government has “preeminent authority” over immigration and that federal law does not permit a “patchwork of state and local immigration policies,” Obama’s Justice Department continues to allow state and local governments with sanctuary city policies to persist without consequence. Unlike many of the provisions of Alabama’s HB 56 that mirror federal law, sanctuary city policies directly contravene it. Nonetheless, the Obama Administration continues to go after state and local governments, which bear the bulk (75 percent) of the costs of illegal immigration.
See the latest FOX News interview with FAIR’s Bob Dane discussing the Alabama lawsuit here.