Governor Riley Proposes State Laws Against Illegal Immigration

Press Release

Governor Bob Riley has submitted three bills to the Legislature designed to give Alabama the nation's toughest state laws against illegal immigration.

The bills are sponsored by Senators Scott Beason and Arthur Orr, and Representative Micky Hammon.

During his State of the State Address and as part of Plan 2010 that he unveiled last fall, Governor Riley said he would propose the bills to the Legislature.

"Alabama will always welcome those who follow the law when they enter our country, but we will not stand idly by and do nothing about those who don't," Governor Riley said. "During the past four years, our state has been a leader in a growing national effort to combat illegal immigration, and those efforts will continue and expand."

Senator Orr said, "I will do all I can to ensure we aggressively fight illegal immigration in Alabama. I will work with Governor Riley and my fellow lawmakers to get these strong measures approved by the Legislature."

Representative Hammon said, "This package of bills will stop illegal aliens from coming to Alabama and prevent those already here from putting down roots."

The three bills:

Require adults seeking a government benefit from a state agency to be in the country legally. The verification of legal status includes three steps: producing a secure photo identification, having a sworn affidavit and having the application approved through the SAVE program - Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements. SAVE enables government agencies and licensing bureaus to obtain immigration status information on individuals. Senator Beason and Representative Hammon are the bill's sponsors.

Require employers to attest that they do not knowingly employ illegal aliens before their companies could qualify for state economic development grants or do business with state agencies. Senator Orr and Representative Hammon are the bill's sponsors.

Require that government entities issue and renew commercial and professional licenses, permits and similar authorizations only for those lawfully present in the U.S. Senator Orr and Representative Hammon are the bill's sponsors.

Alabama is already considered a leader among states in the fight against illegal immigration. During the first year of his administration, Governor Riley signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that grants Alabama the ability to enforce federal immigration law. At that time, Alabama became the second state in the nation to be granted such authority by Homeland Security. This agreement allows state troopers to receive federal immigration training that permits them, during the course of their regular duties, to detain and arrest individuals who are in this country illegally. The illegal aliens are then turned over to federal authorities.

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