A federal court has blocked parts of a new Alabama immigration law. The court blocked parts of the law that required schools to check students' immigration statuses and made it a crime to not have proper identification, but did not address provisions like the one allowing police to detain those who they suspect of being illegal. The law has caused many Hispanics to leave Alabama, and the lack of construction workers, landscapers and field workers has caused a labor shortage in the state. The agriculture commissioner suggested that farmers hire prison inmates to fill any gaps. The law has been criticized by the Justice Department, who asked the appeals court to stop states from creating their own immigration standards.
See "Split Decision on Alabama Immigration Law", The Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2011