On April 22, 2010 Governor Jan Brewer passed a bill in Arizona which would go on to become the toughness on immigration, and undocumented workers in United States history. Bill SB 1070 in short states that if state officials find someone who they find suspicious can then ask to see there paperwork to be in the United States. It also makes not having your papers when asked a misdemeanor, and if someone fells that the law isn't being enforced by local officials they have the right to sue local agencies and government. Following Friday Governor Jan Brewer signed bill HB 2162 which helped clean up bill SV 1070 signed the Friday before. This bill states that calls about the issue based on race and color wouldn't be investigated. Also that officials can only ask for paper work at a "lawful stop", detention or having been arrested.
Following the signing of the bill many different agency's have filled suits against Arizona on allegations of inhuman treatment against Hispanics. Also officers from the state have filed suet against the state because they don't fell it was far to be sued themselves for not enforcing the law. Susan Bolton a judge made a decision on one of the cases July 28th, 2010 blocking provisions in the law which really pushes it to the supreme court. August 10th, 2011 Arizona appealed these decision and would have the matter handled in the supreme court.
Alabama
On June 9th, 2011 Alabama passed its new immigration bill HB 56 signed by governor Robert Bentley. This bill which is now considered the harshest on immigration has come out even worse the Arizona's immigration laws from the year before. Like Arizona papers can be asked for at a lawful stop, detention or having been arrested. Different from Arizona's bill though, Employers have to ask for appropriate paperwork for people to work, and if found they didn't may have there business licence revoked. You can be arrested until someone decides if your are legal to be in this United States, if found not they may serve jail time. Any transportation of undocumented works for any reason is a crime under the new law.
Like Arizona groups have appealed the law and will be taking it to court. On top of that the Obama administration is choosing to fight the bill as well. On September 29th, parts of the law where upheld and set into effect.
Fallout from the passing of the bill hasn't seemed to help as much as hurt the state. Farmers are reporting that there crops aren't being harvested quickly enough and now going bad losing thousands of dollars. Steven Colbert has the scoop in this segment on the issue. Schools are also reporting a drop in Hispanic students because the law asks for school to keep track of legal and undocumented students, but does not say that children who aren't there legally will not be allowed to be in class.
States on the Boarder
The other states on the boarder Texas, California and New Mexico immigration laws are less critical than that of Arizona's who also sit on the boarder. Texas for instances is looking to pass new laws on Immigration saying that if found to have undocumented workers, working for you. You could be looking at a fine of 10,000 as well as two years in prison that is unless of course these works where helping around the house. New Mexico asked workers to have drivers licence for safety reasons. While California may have hard laws in the books they doesn't always seem to be followed because of some loopholes in the writing.
