By Adrianna McGinley
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) released a statement Monday in support of a group of twelve lawmakers who traveled to Alabama this week to see first-hand the effects of the state’s anti-immigration law, HB 56.
“The concern I’ve always had from the first time I heard about this Alabama legislation is it would create without any question racial profiling and that is something that we just don’t stand for in this country,” Reid said.
The controversial law has sparked several lawsuits against the state, including a federal investigation by Attorney General Eric Holder.
Reid expressed support for the administration’s investigation and urged Republicans to stand with Democrats on the issue.
“Our immigration is broken, but we cannot fix it with a patchwork of fifty different immigration laws,” Reid said. “Instead of supporting divisive laws such as Alabama’s, Republicans should stop obstructing comprehensive immigration reform and work with us to achieve a real solution.”
Since the implementation of the law there have been reports of people fleeing the state, which has led to farms and local businesses reporting a loss of workers and customers, loss of crops, increased absentee rates in schools, and foreign investors losing confidence in Alabama’s economy.