ACLU Stands Firm in its
Commitment to Immigrants’ Rights
The fundamental
constitutional protections of due process and equal protection embodied in
our Constitution and Bill of Rights apply to every "person" and are
not limited to citizens. The framers of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and
the post-Civil War amendments understood the essential importance of
protecting non-citizens against governmental abuse and discrimination.
Our nation has unquestioned
authority to control its borders and to regulate immigration, but we must
exercise the awesome power to exclude or deport immigrants consistent with
the rule of law, the fundamental norms of humanity and the requirements of
the Constitution.
The ACLU was born in the 1920's
during the "Red Scare," a time when then U.S. Attorney General A.
Mitchell Palmer was ordering immigrants summarily detained and deported because
of their political views. That was the beginning of the ACLU's work
challenging unconstitutional laws and practices to make the Constitution a
living document for everyone in this country. The ACLU has defended the
Constitution's guarantees on behalf of the foreign-born and immigrants ever
since.
Upholding the rights of
immigrants is important to us all. When the government has the power to deny
legal rights and due process to one vulnerable group, everyone's rights are
at risk. Non-citizens are often the first and most vulnerable targets of
government abuse.
Learn more about the ACLU’s
Immigrants’ Rights Project at www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights
ACLU-AL Opposes Troy King’s
Support of Arizona’s Racial Profiling Law
Attorney General Troy King
submitted a brief in U.S. District Court in Arizona
last week supporting SB1070, Arizona’s
discriminatory racial profiling law. The friend-of-the-court brief opposes
the Obama administration’s lawsuit challenging the law. Other attorneys
general on the brief include those from Michigan,
Florida, Nebraska,
Pennsylvania, South
Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Virginia.
The American Civil
Liberties Union and a coalition of other leading civil rights organizations filed
a lawsuit challenging the Arizona
racial profiling law on May 17. The coalition charges that the law invites
the racial profiling of people of color, violates the First Amendment and
interferes with federal law. The federal
government's lawsuit against the Arizona
law was filed on July 6.
“We are deeply disappointed
that Attorney General Troy King has filed an amicus brief defending Arizona’s extreme
‘show me your papers’ law,” said Olivia Turner, Executive Director of the ACLU
of Alabama. “The Obama administration took a courageous and principled stand
by challenging this legislation which encourages racial profiling and
unconstitutionally usurps federal authority. Laws that invite discrimination
have no place in the United States,
including in Alabama,
where residents value fairness and equality. We will work to make sure that Alabama does not follow Arizona’s shameful lead.”
ACLU of Alabama Speaks Out for Immigrant Justice
at July 28 Rally
On July 29, Arizona’s discriminatory
racial profiling law, SB1070, will go into effect. In response, the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice
(ACIJ) is hosting a rally to stand in solidarity with immigrants in Arizona and to send the message that Alabama will not tolerate copycat measures
such as Irondale’s
recently passed resolution. On Wednesday,
July 28, at 6:00pm, speakers from the ACLU of Alabama, the Hispanic Interest
Coalition of Alabama (HICA), Alabama Appleseed, Southern Poverty Law Center,
the National Lawyers Guild and other organizations, as well as elected
officials and leaders from the immigrant community, will gather at Linn Park
in Birmingham to spread the message that Birmingham welcomes immigrants and
that immigrants make significant social and economic contributions to
Alabama. There will also be cultural performances.
WHAT: A Celebration of Our Immigrant
Communities: A Unified Cry for Justice
WHEN: Wednesday, July 28 from 6-8pm
WHERE: Linn Park in downtown Birmingham (20th St. N. and 7th Ave. N.)
We hope to see you there!
The ACIJ is a network of individuals and
organizations which seek to provide a united voice dedicated to ensuring the
social, legal and civic rights of all immigrants in Alabama. ACIJ’s members work to promote
justice for all of Alabama’s
immigrants. To learn more, visit www.acij.net.
Thank you for your continued support of civil liberties
in Alabama!
Olivia Turner
Executive
Director, ACLU of Alabama
207 Montgomery Street, Suite 910, Montgomery, Alabama 36104
T: 334-262-0304 | F: 334-269-5666 |
info@aclualabama.org
www.aclualabama.org
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