Alabama is notorious as the state with the most intense immigration laws, but it appears that they are not satisfied with their rulings. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Alabaman government is working on amendments to their immigration statutes which will be even stricter. Currently, immigrants in Alabama can be put to trial whenever a police officer discovers them. Whether the officer pulled an immigrant over for a speeding ticket, or saw him walking down the street, he has the right to demand to see the person's documents. Undocumented citizens are sent to trial, and may be deported if enough evidence can be presented.

Alabama used their laws to crack down on farmers who employ illegal aliens to harvest their crops. Immigrants collect many of the items on farms that must be handpicked, such as blueberries or strawberries. This is because they are willing to spend long hours in the hot sun. When the government suggested that farmers hire legal citizens in Alabama, they discovered that locals won't work with the energy or dedication that the immigrants will. Because they are now supposed to report any undocumented workers to the government, immigrants have disappeared from the farms, leaving a lot of crops in the fields. Farmers are now scaling back on their acreage because they can't find people to collect their goods.

With the new additions to the Alabama immigration laws, all undocumented citizens who appear in court for any violation of a state law will be listed on a website. This official state site will provide their names, the name of the judge that assigned their case, and the dispositions of the convicted persons. One source says that the directory will also list pictures of the immigrants so that people can keep a look out for them. Some skeptics believe that the new amendment is just a motion to shame immigrants even further.

As well, a new provision may require the Department of Homeland Security to compile a progress report that updates the Legislature on how immigration enforcement has excelled. This progress report may become an annually issued document, and can show Alabamans where they should make changes. They hope that this will help to further expunge illegal immigrants from the state. Many pro-immigration groups are outraged at the thought of these additions to an already strict law. Ironically, the LA Times discloses that only about 2 percent of the residents in Alabama are even there illegally.

These changes resulted from a special session, which was presided over by the governor of Alabama. This meeting was called in hopes of softening some of the stricter parts of the Alabama immigration law. Some of the portions of this law have been challenged by the Justice department, who has said that the laws are unconstitutional. They believe that the Federal government has the authority to regulate immigration, and that states should not be as involved as Alabama has become. The Justice Department sued Arizona for a similar situation.

Yet despite the intention to make the laws a little bit more lenient, Alabama added to their immigration policy. They may still be hearing from the Department of Justice in the future, especially if they continue to enforce strict policies like these. If you are involved in an immigration law dispute at present, keep in mind that the state of Alabama is accountable to the Constitution when they are convicting immigrants. If you believe that they courts are not upholding their need to honor America's important document, then you should talk to an immigration lawyer. He or she may be able to help you fight your case and remain in this country.