Civil Rights Division Sends Letter to Alabama Law Enforcement Agencies About Alabama Immigration Law

The Civil Rights Division is closely monitoring the implementation of Alabama's new immigration bill, Alabama House Bill 56 (HB 56), to ensure that enforcement of the law does not result in discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity by schools, public institutions, or law enforcement agencies. As part of those efforts, on December 2, 2011, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Thomas E. Perez sent a letter to more than 150 local law enforcement agencies in Alabama, informing them of the Division's monitoring activities and reminding them of their obligations to engage in non-discriminatory policing, pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.

A copy of that letter (identical letters were sent to each law enforcement agency) is available here.