Labor brokers would have to turn over info on immigrants working in Alabama under proposed bill

by Ralph Chapoco, Alabama Reflector
March 3, 2025

A House committee approved legislation Wednesday that requires the state to maintain a registry of foreign nationals who work in Alabama.

The House Judiciary Committee approved HB 302, sponsored by Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, that would require labor brokers to register with the Alabama Department of Workforce each year, and provide the department with the names of foreign nationals who are working in the state.

“We want to try and capture those individuals who are bringing labor into the state, and getting kickbacks, maybe from an employer, maybe from a staffing agency,” Robbins said when he introduced his proposal.

Those who violate the law could face fines between $500 and $5,000 — more if the state takes someone to court. Brokers could face criminal investigations and Class C felony charges, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $15,000.

The bill also authorizes the Secretary of State’s Office to revoke the license of the labor broker or a charitable organization for violating the provisions in the legislation.

HB 302 states that a “significant” number of immigrants are settling in the state to work in different types of businesses, such as manufacturing plants, or performing seasonal work in agriculture, and that “labor brokers” provide financial support for them. Transparency is needed, according to the bill, around foreign nationals residing in the state.

Labor brokers would have to determine the work status of each immigrant they recruit. They would provide the state with details about the businesses they contract with, as well as the workers placed with those businesses, plus info about the people sponsoring the workers.

The bill also imposes measures proponents say will ensure immigrants who receive social service benefits are eligible for them, and allows the state to fine and penalize those who don’t follow the rules.

Advocacy groups expressed concerns about how the bill misrepresents immigrants and immigration systems, especially in making the assumption that people without proper work authorization are receiving public benefits, such as Medicaid.

A separate section of the legislation states that immigrants who apply for social services, from food stamps to unemployment benefits, must then be checked against the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to verify their status and determine eligibility for public assistance.

Immigrants who apply for public benefits would provide a “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services” (USCIS) number or Alien Registration Number, along with info about their sponsors under the measure.

“Someone stated that undocumented immigrants were using USCIS numbers to sign up for Medicaid, which is completely false,” said Allison Hamilton, executive director of the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, after Wednesday’s meeting. “There is no such thing as a USCIS number, and undocumented immigrants are not eligible for Medicaid.”

The bill could discourage organizations — staffing agencies or charitable groups — from assisting immigrants who have recently settled in the state.

Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa voted against the legislation, saying the bill targets organizations or vulnerable populations.

“Any time people are required to identify themselves in various ways,” he said, “it sometimes brings a target on them because there are some people who do not want them here.”

HB 302 will be passed on to the full House of Representatives for a vote.

The legislation is part of a suite of bills circulating in the Legislature that targets immigrants in the state. A House committee also passed a measure to endow local law enforcement with the authority to enforce the country’s immigration laws earlier this month.

Two weeks ago, the Senate approved legislation that requires local law enforcement to collect DNA and fingerprints for detained immigrants, a bill that prohibits transporting immigrants without status to the state, and a measure barring Alabama from accepting immigrants’ driver’s licenses issued from two states.

Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com.

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