Emergency Request to Block Provisions of H.B. 56

Today, the coalition of civil rights organizations that filed HICA et al. v. Bentley, et al., the class-action challenge to Alabama’s extreme anti-immigrant law, filed a notice of appeal and an emergency request that the district court temporarily block several provisions not previously enjoined by the court’s orders of September 28 while the decision is appealed. The coalition sought this temporary relief from the district court to prevent enforcement of these provisions pending their emergency appeal to the 11th Circuit court of appeals.

If allowed to go into effect, the provisions the coalition asked the court to block in its emergency request would:

Chill children’s access to schools by requiring school officials to verify the immigration status of children and their parents.
Mandate all immigrants to carry their “papers” and present them upon request.
Authorize police to demand “papers” showing immigration or citizenship status during routine traffic stops.
Prohibit undocumented immigrants from entering into business transactions in the state, which could prevent them from receiving public utilities such as water and sewage services.
Prohibit the enforcement of contracts if either of the participants in the contract is undocumented, such that child support, rental, loan and other agreements would become unenforceable.

Provisions that would have criminalized the solicitation of work and provisions that criminalized transporting undocumented friends and family were blocked by yesterday’s order.

View for copies of the emergency request and notice of appeal.

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