From The New York Times:
Josh Anderson for The New York Times | William Gaspar, 9; Eric Badillo, 11; Angel Garcia, 10; and Elias Gaspar, 10, played soccer Monday in Albertville, Ala.
By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON
Published: October 3, 2011
ALBERTVILLE, Ala. — The vanishing began Wednesday night, the most frightened families packing up their cars as soon as they heard the news.
They left behind mobile homes, sold fully furnished for a thousand dollars or even less. Or they just closed up and, in a gesture of optimism, left the keys with a neighbor. Dogs were fed one last time; if no home could be found, they were simply unleashed.
Two, 5, 10 years of living here, and then gone in a matter of days, to Tennessee, Illinois, Oregon, Florida, Arkansas, Mexico — who knows? Anywhere but Alabama.
The exodus of Hispanic immigrants began just hours after a federal judge in Birmingham upheld most provisions of the state’s far-reaching immigration enforcement law.
The judge, Sharon Lovelace Blackburn, upheld the parts of the law allowing state and local police to ask for immigration papers during routine traffic stops, rendering most contracts with illegal immigrants unenforceable and requiring schools to ascertain the immigration status of children at registration time.
When Judge Blackburn was finished, Alabama was left with what the governor called “the strongest immigration law in this country.” It went into effect immediately, though her ruling is being appealed by the Justice Department and a coalition of civil rights groups. (more…)
Filed under: Alabama, Deportation, immigrant community, Law Enforcement, Migrant Workers | Tagged: Albertville, Arthur Orr, contractors, Decatur, farmers, Hispanic, home builders, John Weathers | Leave a Comment »
