Christian Bishops Claim Alabama Immigration Law Criminalizes Being Good Samaritan

Friday, August 05, 2011
(graphic: goodsamaritanlaw.org)
Alabama’s new anti-immigration law is so harsh it could turn Good Samaritans into outlaws, according to leaders in the Catholic, Episcopal and Methodist churches.
 
Three bishops and an archbishop are suing Governor Robert Bentley because they contend the law is unconstitutional and would criminalize even the administering of religious sacraments.
    
“Alabama’s Anti-Immigration Law may brand Christians as criminals,” reads the lawsuit filed in federal court. “If enforced, Alabama’s anti-immigration law will make it a crime to follow God’s command to be Good Samaritans…. If enforced, the Law will place Alabama church members in the untenable position of verifying individuals' immigration documentation before being able to follow God's Word to ‘love thy neighbor as thyself.’”
 
The bishops also quote Exodus 22:21: “You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.”
 
The law, described by the clergy as “the nation’s most merciless anti-immigration legislation,” makes it a crime to harbor, conceal or transport undocumented immigrants or induce them to come into the state. It also outlaws renting property to undocumented people and prohibits state courts from recognizing or enforcing contracts between an undocumented immigrant and any other resident as long as the second party is aware of the immigrant’s “unauthorized” status.
 
The law is scheduled to take effect on September 1.
-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky
 
Henry Parsley v. Robert Bentley (U.S. District Court, Northern Alabama) (pdf)

Comments

Dave Francis 13 years ago
the liberals talk about taxing the wealthy, which in my opinion they create the jobs in the real world. tax, tax, tax, that seems to be the mantra of the obama administration. but neither political party want to "deep six" the current tax system, that is unfair to the majority and gives huge loopholes to the few. everybody understands they must pay taxes to run government, but that doesn't mean any government that is overwhelming and taxing us into extinction. if there was a fair tax, no person who purchased any goods, mortgage, car or services of any kind could escape, not even the low income that pays nothing, even if it’s a few dollars, but collect from tax returns money-some fraudulently. the main point is why should we be severely taxed to pay for foreign nationals who steal into our country? americans are ordered by the courts that we must accept them and financially support illegal parents, children and extended family members? this is forced on us, by the law called chain migration. millions have entered this way, and the sponsor unable to support them, so they are driven into poverty. chain migration is an unfunded mandate, where taxpayers are placed with the burden of more welfare services. this really started in 1986, when president reagan signed a law that has crippled the american way of life, for the past twenty five years. the dollar cost has been unprecedented with millions pouring through our borders and saturating this country with cheap labor. while the nation has been transfixed by the recent debt ceiling debate, 22 million americans have continued their search for a full-time job. now that a compromise on the debt ceiling has been reached, members of both parties are promising to get back to work creating jobs. yet their promises are hard to believe allowing for both parties having refused to proceed on one of the most vital work-related problems, that of lowering yearly immigration levels. the dept of justice has seen fit currently to drag the state of alabama through the courts, adjoined by the the roman catholic church, three dozen plaintiffs represented by the american civil liberties union and the national immigration law center and the authorities in mexico. just like arizona trying to protect its legal residents, now burdened with a $2 billion plus deficit, alabama is also in financial trouble of 289 million dollar meltdown. other states are beginning to follow their lead, but with liberal infested courts interpreting their own laws, instead of following constitutional law is difficult to overcome these impaired judgments. these lesser circuit courts have had the verdicts vacated so many times, so unless the case reaches the supreme court these divisional federal courts rule the day. alabama, georgia, arizona have invested in hard laws to remove the blight of illegal immigration, to save their residents from financial hardship for their legal residency, so leftist agitators, the church, the communist aclu are throwing the book at these states. but the battle for america is far from over, as the tea party growth of membership is constructing a new party from all political parties. i suggest that all these court injunctions that are against individual state, where there sovereign rights are being obstructed, is essentially that the dam has burst and the protractors are nervous that the rest of the 50 states are climbing on the wagon, hoping to end the impetus of immigration enforcement. its now a fact that illegal aliens families are leaving immigration restraining states, with some heading home to their country and others going across state borders to poorly enforced states as california, nevada, illinois seeking free welfare programs. the truth is amnesties have never stopped, as records show that six small, but evident amnesties have been enacted quietly since 1986. this is not including a covert movement of handing out visas to one million and a half newcomers annually. the judiciary committee, under the chairmanship of rep. lamar smith (r-tx) has quickly moved on this action, to deal with the ongoing unemployment catastrophe. after three years of a jobs depression, we saw the first action by congress to stop driving up unemployment by importing so many immigrant workers. a fortnight ago the committee readied the bill, then forwarding to congressman bob goodlatte’s (r-va) the safe for america act (h.r. 704) and going to the house floor. this bill would end the visa lottery and immediately provide some relief to america’s unemployed without costing american taxpayers anything. it would be a good beginning to conclude cutting back the incredulous annual immigration figures that have customarily run over a million a year. this is currently while 22 million americans who want a full-time job can't find one. further to this, we must get behind those as voters and demand from our representatives both federal and state to join sponsors of the e-verify provision, which will mandate e-verify across this country, and permanently obstruct illegal workers from stealing jobs from unemployed americans. the dream act is yet another controversial subject, as it’s tied to the parents who slip past border guards or come via aircraft, ignoring the immigration laws. the dream act is itself, is not the main argument in this issue, but the consequences of bringing in other family members through chain migration laws that adds even more people to our population. the state of california has just past a dream act even though the state is running in red ink. illinois, another high illegal immigration state, has just run passage of their dream act. although these are not federally endorsed, this will however encourage more aliens to bring their children here for a free education. rep. michele bachmann, the tea party caucus leader is a strong contender for president. unlike the democrats and the hidden torment of the liberals or republicans bachmann will not tolerate the loose immigration enforcement, she will build the border fence according to its original design and enact harsh penalties for businesses that scorn e-verify and still hire discount labor. millions have come here following the rules according to the law, and wait there time patiently for many years. but those who cross our borders fly in with no intentions of ever returning to europe, south america or asia and then expect the american people to treat them with civility. if it wasn't for the wilting economy of arizona, no voices would have spoken up arguing the claim against the federal government had failed to enforce immigration law or protect each state from an invasion. this is yet another issue, that the tea party will conduct of returning agencies of the federal government, back to the empowerment of individual states--starting with education and the epa is which is over regulating. the tea party has become a massive grassroots movement of tens of millions of like-minded americans from all racial and religious backgrounds and political parties. the tea party members share the nucleus principles of limited government, individual freedoms, personal responsibility, fair free markets and returning power to the states and the people. the tea party is about reforming all political parties and government, so the prime principles of our constitution, once again, the foundation of which this nation stands. the tea party in further constipation has just uncovered the ominous fact that we are sending taxpayers money to china. not to pay of the interest on the us treasury debt, but as $90 million free money for such things as health care projects through the (nih) national institute of health--but this is just the tip of the iceberg that the government is keeping to themselves? since 2001 this country has sent $275 million dollars to china, according to us senator jon tester as foreign aid. the biggest lie ever concocted about illegal aliens is that there is a population of 12 million. that figure has been the official, an old tired statement of the liberals and the open border zealots since 1987. the undeniable fact is that there could be close to 40 million illegal’s aliens here, which have nearly bankrupted this sovereign nation. the authorities south of our border have admitted that 12% of their entire country now lives in the united states? one of the most tired banalities of the immigration debate is that "immigrants do the jobs americans won't do." with 22 million americans out of work, this justification for not enforcing our immigration laws ring hollow than ever before. -- there are an estimated 8 million illegal aliens in the workforce. virtually all of them are in the unskilled sectors, which are stealing jobs from black, white, hispanic and others of different race groups. as a note, its easy to recognize liberal backed newspapers and other media? there articles find no difference in those who came to america legally and those who broke the law. in other words in their eyes< everybody is an "immigrant." everybody needs to read numbersusa, judicial watch, american patrol and fair's web sites for information. no copyright. please distribute freely.

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