George Wallace would be proud

Last week, a federal district court judge upheld key measures of the new Alabama immigration law. Alabama claims this measure is necessary due to the inaction of the federal government to stop wasting state resources on illegal ?immigrants.

It’s understandable that the officials of Alabama would feel frustrated with the federal government’s lack of action. There is a wide consensus today that our immigration system is broken, yet Congress has not acted to fix this.

However, this frustration does not give Alabama power to break the law. The legal case is clear: Since immigration policy is tied to foreign policy, the federal government has the power under the Constitution to deal with it.

Because this law will interfere with federal enforcement of immigration policy, it is unconstitutional. This is basic federalism. But if the legal case is strong, the moral case is stronger.

Less than 50 years ago, then Alabama Gov. George Wallace declared he would stand at a schoolhouse door to stop racial integration into schools. As he put it, “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation  forever.”

Alabama’s politicians seem determined to reach back to that dark era with this law. Since the implementation of the law, hundreds of Hispanic families have been keep their children out of school for fear of what might ?happen to them.

The Alabama Department of Education estimated that the day after the court ruling, almost 2,500 Hispanic students were absent from school. In at least one Alabama town, people are threatened with having water service cut off.

According to the town of Allgood, “to be compliant with new laws concerning immigration you must have an Alabama driver’s license ... or you may lose ?water service.”

This law is devoted to creating a culture of fear, terror and racial hatred in Alabama. Alabama’s politicians openly declare that this was their goal. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) told POLITICO, “We want illegal aliens out of the state of Alabama, and I want illegal aliens out of the United States of America.”

Wallace sure would be proud.

Let us hope a federal appeals court can get the message through and stop this hateful, un-American law.

­— sidfletch@indiana.edu