News from the South - Alabama News Feed

Labor brokers would have to turn over info on immigrants working in Alabama under proposed bill

Published

1 month ago

March 3, 2025

Staff Editor

alabamareflector.com – Ralph Chapoco – 2025-03-03 07:01:00

Labor brokers would have to turn over info on immigrants working in Alabama under proposed bill

by Ralph Chapoco, Alabama Reflector
March 3, 2025

A House committee approved legislation Wednesday that requires the state to maintain a registry of foreign nationals who work in Alabama.

The House Judiciary Committee approved HB 302, sponsored by Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, that would require labor brokers to register with the Alabama Department of Workforce each year, and provide the department with the names of foreign nationals who are working in the state.

“We want to try and capture those individuals who are bringing labor into the state, and getting kickbacks, maybe from an employer, maybe from a staffing agency,” Robbins said when he introduced his proposal.

Those who violate the law could face fines between $500 and $5,000 — more if the state takes someone to court. Brokers could face criminal investigations and Class C felony charges, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $15,000.

The bill also authorizes the Secretary of State’s Office to revoke the license of the labor broker or a charitable organization for violating the provisions in the legislation.

HB 302 states that a “significant” number of immigrants are settling in the state to work in different types of businesses, such as manufacturing plants, or performing seasonal work in agriculture, and that “labor brokers” provide financial support for them. Transparency is needed, according to the bill, around foreign nationals residing in the state.

Labor brokers would have to determine the work status of each immigrant they recruit. They would provide the state with details about the businesses they contract with, as well as the workers placed with those businesses, plus info about the people sponsoring the workers.

The bill also imposes measures proponents say will ensure immigrants who receive social service benefits are eligible for them, and allows the state to fine and penalize those who don’t follow the rules.

Advocacy groups expressed concerns about how the bill misrepresents immigrants and immigration systems, especially in making the assumption that people without proper work authorization are receiving public benefits, such as Medicaid.

A separate section of the legislation states that immigrants who apply for social services, from food stamps to unemployment benefits, must then be checked against the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to verify their status and determine eligibility for public assistance.

Immigrants who apply for public benefits would provide a “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services” (USCIS) number or Alien Registration Number, along with info about their sponsors under the measure.

“Someone stated that undocumented immigrants were using USCIS numbers to sign up for Medicaid, which is completely false,” said Allison Hamilton, executive director of the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, after Wednesday’s meeting. “There is no such thing as a USCIS number, and undocumented immigrants are not eligible for Medicaid.”

The bill could discourage organizations — staffing agencies or charitable groups — from assisting immigrants who have recently settled in the state.

Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa voted against the legislation, saying the bill targets organizations or vulnerable populations.

“Any time people are required to identify themselves in various ways,” he said, “it sometimes brings a target on them because there are some people who do not want them here.”

HB 302 will be passed on to the full House of Representatives for a vote.

The legislation is part of a suite of bills circulating in the Legislature that targets immigrants in the state. A House committee also passed a measure to endow local law enforcement with the authority to enforce the country’s immigration laws earlier this month.

Two weeks ago, the Senate approved legislation that requires local law enforcement to collect DNA and fingerprints for detained immigrants, a bill that prohibits transporting immigrants without status to the state, and a measure barring Alabama from accepting immigrants’ driver’s licenses issued from two states.

Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com.

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News from the South - Alabama News Feed

Alabama immigration enforcement bill gets approval from 2nd House committee

Published

2 hours ago

April 3, 2025

Staff Editor

alabamareflector.com – Ralph Chapoco – 2025-04-03 06:57:00

by Ralph Chapoco, Alabama Reflector
April 3, 2025

An Alabama House committee Wednesday approved an immigration bill that had already received another committee’s approval earlier in the session.

The House Judiciary Committee approved HB 7, sponsored by Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, which would give local law enforcement the authority to enforce the country’s immigration laws.

“There are no new laws added,” Yarbrough said to committee members during the meeting. “It simply allows that partnership to take place just to address safety in our communities.”

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Judiciary approved the bill about six weeks after the House Public Safety and Homeland Security did so in February. It is unusual for a bill to go through two committees before going to the floor of the House for a vote. The last major legislation to get routed through two House committees was the bill legalizing medical cannabis in Alabama in 2021.

The current bill, largely unchanged from last year, allows local law enforcement, such as sheriff’s offices and police departments, to enter into agreements with federal agencies to arrest and detain people who are not legally authorized to reside in the country.

Once in custody, deputies and police officers must then attempt to determine a person’s immigration status and get the help of an interpreter to determine someone’s nationality.

If a person cannot provide documentation proving they are eligible to live in the country, local law enforcement may then reach out to a Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC) to get information about a person’s immigration status.

The bill states that people cannot be detained solely because of their immigration status unless authorized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and that sheriffs’ deputies and police departments will verify that a person has an arrest warrant within 24 hours of the person getting detained.

Law enforcement must also obtain documents to verify a person’s immigration status, bet that a passport or a permanent resident card.

House Judiciary Committee members approved an amendment making a few of the requirements optional. A previous version required the Alabama Attorney General’s Office to publicly name any agency failing to comply with provisions in the legislation and notify the governor’s office.

The updated language gives the AG’s Office an option to inform the Governor’s Office.

Another amendment also allows, but doesn’t require, local law enforcement to report the total number of people arrested and the number of foreign nationals they take into custody as well as the inquiries they make to the LESC.

Immigration advocates who spoke at a public hearing on the legislation in March said the legislation is creating fear among immigrant communities. That, they said, would lead to mistrust toward law enforcement and increased school truancy for children of immigrants who are afraid to attend school for fear of their parents being deported.

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee criticized the legislation.

“What country do we border in Alabama?” asked Rep. Penni McClammy, D-Montgomery during the committee meeting Wednesday.

Yarbrough said that every state is connected, and that people travel.

“Each state doesn’t have a physical wall, so people travel from state to state,” Yarbrough said.

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News from the South - Alabama News Feed

New Tariffs Could Raise Car Prices | April 2, 2025 | News 19 at 10 p.m.

Published

10 hours ago

April 2, 2025

Staff Editor

www.youtube.com – WHNT News 19 – 2025-04-02 22:15:12

SUMMARY: A 25% tariff on foreign cars and auto parts is set to take effect at midnight, potentially raising prices for consumers. While current inventory and cars already at U.S. ports will remain at existing prices, future pricing remains uncertain. Dealerships in North Alabama say it’s too early to know the full impact, but warn that repair costs may also rise due to higher parts prices. Some manufacturers may absorb part of the tariff, while others could pass the full cost to buyers—raising a $30,000 car to nearly $40,000. Dealerships report a recent surge in buyers trying to purchase before prices rise.

A 25% tariff on any foreign cars or auto parts will go into effect in a couple of hours.

News 19 is North Alabama’s News Leader! We are the CBS affiliate in North Alabama and the Tennessee Valley since November 28, 1963.

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News from the South - Alabama News Feed

Weather Fun 1on1: Brylee explains why thunderstorms occur more often in the summer than in the wi…

Published

10 hours ago

April 2, 2025

Staff Editor

www.youtube.com – WVTM 13 News – 2025-04-02 22:03:30

SUMMARY: Meteorologist Brylee Brown explains why thunderstorms are more common in summer than winter in her “Weather Fun 1-on-1” segment. Joined by Aidan, they conduct an experiment using two bowls of air at different temperatures. The warm air inflates a balloon, demonstrating that warm air is less dense and rises, while cold air causes the balloon to deflate. This principle helps explain why summer afternoons often bring air mass thunderstorms, as humid, warm air is abundant. In winter, less warm air means these storms are rare. For more weather science resources, viewers can scan a QR code or visit the website.