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HB56 stands in the way of the YWCA’s mission and work. Join us as we work for its repeal.

• Domestic violence services are a cornerstone of the YWCA’s mission to empower women. HB56 discourages undocumented domestic violence victims from taking legal action against their abuser out of fear of being detained or taken away from their children. A victim of domestic violence called the Southern Poverty Law Center’s HB56 abuse hotline and reported that she went to court to obtain a protective order. The clerk told her that she’d be reported to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) if she proceeded.

• The YWCA is committed to eliminating racism on an institutional and individual level. A provision of HB56 allows law enforcement to detain and question anyone they deem “reasonably suspicious” of being undocumented. This provision legalizes and institutionalizes the practice of racial profiling, as the only basis for “suspicion” is perceived race as determined by hair and skin color.

• The YWCA cares about all Alabama children, regardless of their race or immigration status. HB56 is detrimental to the physical and emotional wellbeing of children. An undocumented, single mother, whose U.S. citizen children attended YWCA Kids Korner, returned to Mexico when sustaining her family in the midst of anti-immigrant hostility became too difficult. A Birmingham City School teacher testified at an AFL-CIO hearing that her brightest students have grown disengaged as they are preoccupied with the possibility of assuming responsibility for their younger siblings in the event that their undocumented parents are deported.

On February 14th, a coalition of organizations that oppose HB56 is holding a rally in Montgomery where they will hand deliver signed petitions urging the repeal of HB56. Please sign two petitions, one for your state representative and one for your state senator. Here is a link to find out who your State Legislators are: http://www.legislature.state.al.us/misc/zipsearch.html.

You just type your zip code into the box on the left hand side. If can't make the link work, we can look that up for you later based on the address you write on the petition. Once you have filled out the petition electronically, save the changes to your computer.

Send the saved, completed petition to anytown@ywcabham.org as an attachment. Please feel free to forward this email and the petition to friends and contacts across the state.

Thank you for standing with the YWCA as we continue to stand for peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.

PETITION TO REPEAL HB 56

 To: Representative/ Senator __________________

I, the undersigned, am calling on you, Representative/Senator _____________ to vote to repeal Alabama’s harsh Beason-Hammon Immigration Law, HB56. This law will not protect Alabama’s workforce, improve our economy, or make our communities safer. It impinges on our civil rights, creates unfunded mandates, and threatens people seeking to do their jobs or live out their faith through ministry. We need real solutions for our immigration system that embrace fairness, equal treatment, and due process. This law does not provide the fix Alabamians need or desire. Therefore, I call on you to vote to repeal the Beason-Hammon Immigration Law.

Name:             
                       
Street Address:       
           
City & State:

Zip:     

Email Address: