New state laws and the failure of immigration reform are taking a heavy toll on children and families.

Carlos Rodriguez has been receiving letters and brochures from colleges and universities from across the country encouraging him to apply because of his outstanding grades in an Alabama high school. He dreams of the day he can start college next year.

But Rodriguez has two problems. For starters, he is an undocumented student, which limits his college options because he does not qualify for federal and state financial aid. And Rodriguez’ family is considering leaving Alabama for good—either relocating to another state or even going back to Costa Rica, where he and his parents were born.

The family agreed to be interviewed over the phone on the condition their real names weren’t used. They also asked not to reveal the name of the town where they live for fear the police or the immigration authorities might come to their house to arrest them.

Thousands of undocumented immigrants have left Alabama since the state enacted the toughest immigration law in the country in late September 2011. Arizona, Georgia, Utah, South Carolina, and Indiana have passed their own immigration laws, but none included provisions as harsh as those approved in Alabama. Among the most controversial aspects of the law is a provision requiring schools to check students’ immigration status.

In October a federal judge temporarily blocked the school requirement and another provision of the law, but upheld others—including the one that requires police to check the immigration status of suspected undocumented immigrants during routine traffic stops.

Another judge had previously blocked another controversial provision that had led to a lawsuit by a coalition of Alabama church leaders. That section of the law, the churches argued, would make it illegal to celebrate the sacraments with or provide social services for undocumented immigrants.

In an August 19 statement explaining why he had joined the lawsuit, Arch-bishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile said, “Once immigrants are in our midst, the church has a moral obligation, intrinsic to the living out of our faith, to be Christ-like to everyone. . . . This new law prevents us as believers from exercising our life of faith as commanded by the Lord Jesus.”

Rodriguez’ family has lived in a town near Montgomery for nearly 15 years. His parents, Ignacio and Delia, emigrated from Costa Rica with Carlos and his younger brother, Luis, looking for a better life. They overstayed on their tourist visas and have lived in the same town since they arrived. The couple has worked in factories and cleaned houses. They also have a 13-year-old son, Arturo, who is a U.S. citizen born in Alabama.

The Rodriguezes say that many of their neighbors have already left because of the fear of being stopped by police and deported. Luis, their second son, plays soccer in school and says that many Latino players have stopped showing up because their families are afraid to drive or have left town.

“Our sons have lived in Alabama practically all their lives,” Delia says, explaining why they haven’t left yet. “They consider themselves from here. They don’t know any other place.”

The couple still hopes that the new law will be blocked completely and that next year Congress will pass an immigration reform bill that would allow them to stay in the country.

“Now we live in fear—hoping the police don’t stop us while driving our kids to school or going to work,” says Ignacio.

According to many news reports, Alabama farmers have complained that their harvests have rotted and they now face business failures because not enough American workers are willing to work in the fields.

“For us, it’s all about survival. That’s just the bottom line, folks. Without a viable labor source, we cannot survive,” Jeremy Calvert, a vegetable farmer, was quoted on the PBS NewsHour last October.

For the Rodriguezes there are other severe social repercussions. They say that immigrants do not trust the police anymore, and immigrant kids face suspicion and derogatory comments at school.

“The law is having a terrible impact on people’s lives,” Delia says.

Under pressure

The failure of federal immigration reform efforts has prompted many states to address the controversial issue of illegal immigration on their own terms. In 2009, 1,500 immigration bills were considered. Arizona, Georgia, Utah, South Carolina, and Indiana have taken a harsh approach to dealing with the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants who live in the United Sates.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration has deported nearly 1 million undocumented immigrants. In October Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that in fiscal year 2011 (which ended in September) a record 396,906 people had been deported, nearly 25 percent more than the Bush administration deported in 2007.

As a result, thousands of immigrant families have been torn apart. Enforcement-alone policies have spread fear and mistrust in immigrant communities across the country.
On Dec. 12, 2011, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico and the Americas, the nation’s 33 Hispanic Catholic bishops released a “letter to immigrants” that asks Americans to recognize the contributions of undocumented immigrants. It was not the first time the U.S. Catholic bishops have come out in support of comprehensive immigration reform and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

“We are well aware of the great sacrifice you make for your families’ well-being,” the letter says. “Despite your contributions to . . . our country, instead of receiving our thanks, you are often treated as criminals because you have violated current immigration laws.” In the letter the bishops tell undocumented immigrants: “You are not alone, or forgotten. . . . We open our arms and hearts to you, and we receive you as members of our Catholic family.”