ALABAMA’S NEW IMMIGRATION LAW- DIALOGUE
WIDYA: IMMIGRATION SEEMS TO BE A BIG ISSUE IN AMERICA. DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON?
DINO: IT’S A COMPLICATED ISSUE, BUT AMERICA SEEMS TO BE CAUGHT BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE ON THIS ISSUE. ON THE ONE HAND, THEY WANT TO CONTROL THEIR BORDERS AND STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. ON THE OTHER HAND, AMERICA HAS BECOME VERY DEPENDENT ON IMMIGRANTS TO DO ALL THE LOW- PAYING HARD WORK ON FARMS AND IN THE CITIES TOO.
WIDYA: I THOUGHT THIS WAS AN ISSUE MOSTLY IN THE SOUTHWESTERN PART OF AMERICA IN THE AREA OF THE COUNTRY THAT BORDERS MEXICO.
DINO: WELL, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THERE BECAUSE MOST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO COME TO THE U. S. COME FROM CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA ENTER THE COUNTRY IN THE SOUTHWEST. ONCE IN THE COUNTRY, HOWEVER, THEY MOVE ALL OVER TO FIND WORK.
WIDYA: HOW BIG OF A PROBLEM IS IT? ARE THERE A LOT OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN THE U.S.?
DINO: THERE ARE ABOUT 14 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN THE U.S. AND MORE THAN 1MILLION NEW ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS COME EACH YEAR. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE APPROXIMATELY 1 MILLION IMMIGRANTS WHO COME TO THE U.S. EACH YEAR LEGALLY.
WIDYA: WOW!! I CAN SEE WHY AMERICA IS CALLED THE LAND OF IMMIGRANTS.
DINO: YES AND IN THE AMERICAN SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IT IS A FEDERAL OR NATIONAL LEVEL ISSUE. IN OTHER WORDS, THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTROL THE BORDERS AND ENFORCE THE IMMIGRATION LAWS, NOT THE STATES.
WIDYA: OK... BUT IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO HAVEN’T SOME STATES PASSED LAWS THAT TRY TO CONTROL IMMIGRATION. IS THAT LEGAL? CAN THEY DO THAT IF IT IS A NATIONAL RESPONSIBILTY?
DINO: GOOD POINT. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS CHALLENGING THE LAWS IN THE COURTS AND ALMOST ALL OF THESE STATE LAWS HAVE BEEN PUT ON HOLD UNTIL THE COURTS DECIDE WHAT SHOULD BE DONE.
WIDYA: I THINK I READ THAT ALABAMA IS ONE OF THE STATES THAT PASSED AN IMMIGRATION LAW LAST YEAR. DIDN’T THAT BACKFIRE ON THE STATE AND ACTUALLY HURT THE STATE?
DINO: WELL, THE ALABAMA LAW WAS SO STRICT AND SO TOUGH THAT A LOT OF IMMIGRANTS LEFT THE STATE. THE LAW SAID, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ALL SCHOOLS MUST CHECK THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF STUDENTS AND COULD NOT SERVE CHILDREN UNLESS THEY WERE IN THE U.S. LEGALLY.
WIDYA: I THINK I READ THAT AFTER THE LAW PASSED AND IMMIGRANTS STARTED TO LEAVE, FARMERS COULD NOT FIND U. S. CITIZENS TO HELP HARVEST THEIR CROPS. IT’S NOT AN EASY ISSUE, RIGHT?
