We, the students of Birmingham-Southern College petition the state of Alabama in regard to HB56 and HB 658, Alabama’s immigration laws. We denounce the premise that these pieces of legislation have been put into place to protect the legal residents of Alabama from the “lawlessness” and “economic hardships” that are the result of illegal immigration into Alabama. Rather they serve to promote a system of ethnic discrimination that runs rampant in law enforcement as well as the civil community. Dr. Samuel Addy, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama estimates that HB 56 “will shrink the state’s GDP by at least $2.3 billion dollars… will ultimately cost Alabama 70,000-140,000 jobs” while it’s currently “costing the state $57-$265 million in state taxes, with an additional $20-$90 million loss in local sales taxes.” These laws are the consequences of a political agenda that has destroyed families, harmed civilians morally and physically, corroded cultural institutions and traditional values, and denied the unalienable rights that are proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence. These rights are inherent to the individual, the essence of a living human being, and cannot be stripped by a legislative body.

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