News from the South - Alabama News Feed

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

Published

4 months ago

March 3, 2025

Staff Editor

alabamareflector.com – Ralph Chapoco – 2025-03-03 07:01:00

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.

The post Labor brokers would have to turn over info on immigrants working in Alabama under proposed bill appeared first on alabamareflector.com

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News from the South - Alabama News Feed

Alabama’s weekend weather forecast features standard summer heat and storms.

Published

17 hours ago

July 12, 2025

Staff Editor

www.youtube.com – WVTM 13 News – 2025-07-12 06:06:40

SUMMARY: Alabama’s weekend weather features typical summer heat and scattered storms. Early morning fog affects parts of central and east Alabama but will clear by mid-morning. Daytime temperatures reach the upper 90s with heat indices nearing triple digits, though no heat advisories are expected. Afternoon thunderstorms have about a 30% chance each day, possibly producing gusty winds but no widespread severe weather. High pressure builds next week, reducing rain chances and increasing temperatures. A 20–40% chance of tropical development exists in the northern Gulf later next week, but no organized system is currently present.

Alabama’s weekend weather forecast features standard summer heat and storms.

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News from the South - Alabama News Feed

Southern Poverty Law Center President and CEO Margaret Huang resigns

Published

1 day ago

July 11, 2025

Staff Editor

alabamareflector.com – Ralph Chapoco – 2025-07-11 12:58:00

by Ralph Chapoco, Alabama Reflector
July 11, 2025

Southern Poverty Law Center President and CEO Margaret Huang has resigned from the nonprofit after serving in the role for five years.

SPLC announced Huang’s resignation in a statement on Thursday. The release from the civil rights organization said Huang planned to focus more on her family.

“Margaret has led SPLC with deep care, clarity and conviction, guiding us through moments of growth and moments of challenge,” said Karen Baynes-Dunning, the current chair of the SPLC Board of Directors, in a statement. “Her legacy is woven into the fabric of this organization, and we are well positioned in part because of her leadership.”

Bryan Fair, a former board chair and constitutional scholar at the University of Alabama, will succeed Huang as the leader of the organization on an interim basis.

“The board is confident that he will provide steady, familiar and thoughtful leadership throughout the transition and as a national search for a new leader is conducted. With his guidance, the center remains grounded in its values and prepared to meet the future with strength and purpose,” Baynes-Dunning said in the statement.

A message was sent to SPLC on Friday seeking additional comment.

Huang, previously executive director of Amnesty International USA, took the reins of the organization in 2020 after a year of turmoil. The organization ousted co-founder Morris Dees in 2019 amid questions about racial and gender equity in the SPLC. Dees’ ouster was followed by the resignation of several top SPLC executives.

Southern Poverty Law Center President and CEO Margaret Huang (left) and SPLC Alabama State Director Tafeni English-Relf are seen in this photograph. (Southern Poverty Law Center)

As CEO, Huang tried to steer SPLC to include community organizing in its mission, particularly as an increasingly conservative judiciary made its litigation strategies more difficult. As part of that effort, it has hosted training sessions for individuals and organizations to train them on how to advocate and organize.

But SPLC announced in June 2024 that it would lay off employees in what the organization characterized as “streamlining operations.” SPLC’s employee union indicated that at least 60 people had lost their jobs due to$13 million deficit.

That September, the union overwhelmingly approved a no-confidence motion regarding Huang’s leadership.

A message was sent to the SPLC Union Friday seeking comment.

Fair, the interim CEO, will take leave from the University of Alabama while serving in the role. He has taught constitutional law for 34 years at the law school while also previously serving as a member of several other nonprofits, from the Equal Justice Initiative to Alabama Appleseed.

According to SPLC’s most recent 990 filing, the organization had $129 million in revenue between Nov. 1, 2023 and Oct. 31, 2024, down from $169.8 million in revenue the previous year. It reported expenses of $128.9 million for the period, and total assets of $786.7 million on Oct. 31, 2024.

Huang’s reported compensation from the organization that year was just under $467,000, with another $55,806 listed as “other compensation from the organization and related organizations.”

The post Southern Poverty Law Center President and CEO Margaret Huang resigns appeared first on alabamareflector.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Left-Leaning

This article reports on leadership changes at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a well-known civil rights nonprofit typically associated with progressive and left-leaning causes. The tone is largely neutral and factual, outlining organizational challenges, financial details, and leadership transitions without overt editorializing. However, the focus on civil rights, social justice efforts, and the framing of SPLC’s mission to include community organizing reflects values generally aligned with left-leaning perspectives. The absence of criticism or partisan framing maintains journalistic balance, though the subject matter itself is rooted in progressive advocacy.

News from the South - Alabama News Feed

You could be the new owner of the old St. Clair Co. jail

Published

2 days ago

July 10, 2025

Staff Editor

www.youtube.com – WVTM 13 News – 2025-07-10 23:09:46

SUMMARY: Saint Clair County officials are putting the old St. Clair County jail up for sale after it has been vacant for nearly two years. The original 1939 building, with a major addition from 1992, is described as a fixer-upper but with good structural “bones.” The jail is costly to maintain, with some leaks estimated to require about $50,000 in repairs, though it features a useful heating, air conditioning system, and a large generator. The minimum bid started at $60,000 after the county moved operations in October 2023. Any sale will depend on the buyer’s intended use, ensuring it aligns with the community’s historic character.