Alabama state lawmakers advanced two bills targeting illegal immigration March 5.
House Bill 3, sponsored by Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollingers Island, would enhance criminal penalties for undocumented immigrants convicted of felonies in cases where the victim is a minor. For instance, the bill would see a Class B felony charge automatically elevated to a Class A felony, should the accused be an undocumented immigrant and the victim of the alleged crime a minor.
“A crime against a minor is so egregious that we all agree that it should never happen,” Brown said, introducing his bill to the House Judiciary Committee.
Covering their basis
Brown introduced a substitute to his bill that would provide, in cases where an undocumented immigrant be convicted of a misdemeanor where there is a minor victim, that the charge automatically be elevated to a Class C felony. He explained that the purpose of the amendment was to ensure the indicted individual be charged with a felony for any crime against a minor for the purpose of assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement in eventual deportation.
“First of all too, there’s already been a crime committed in trespassing into the United States, so when they’re in Alabama, eventually they’re going to be handed over to ICE, and if they’re convicted and we bump (the penalty) up, then they’ll do real jail time if they’re sentenced,” Brown said.
Well over a dozen people, many from the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, attended the meeting to oppose the bill. The bill ultimately passed out of the committee with no dissenting votes.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Alexander Willis and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
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