Unintended Consequences of Alabama Immigration LawLydia Doubet, Kyle Johnson, Melissa Montella, Rebecca Moore, Katie Parrish, and Kristina Woody

Presentation Objectives1) The learners will become more familiar with

the current immigration law passed last June in the state of Alabama.

2) The learners will become familiar with the advantages and disadvantages associated with the new immigration law and how if affects immigrants and legal citizens.

3) The learners will demonstrate awareness of how the new immigration law affects the future of healthcare, and be able to apply this knowledge in their future nursing practice.

HB-56 Hammon Beason Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act

• Signed into law by Governor Bentley on June 9, 2011

• Requires proof of lawful status for any “business transaction” with any state or political subdivision

• Requires everyone to show their papers when requested by any law enforcement official, public utility or government agency, or school official.

• These laws will mean fewer people seeking preventative health care, less food security, and unsafe water supplies, among other things.

Intentions of the “nation’s strictest immigration law”

Estimated Federal Expenditure on Illegal Immigrants (Medical Subtotal)=

$5,949,900,000

"I don't want to spread fear, but any time people are afraid to get medical care there are potential complications.”

— Jim McVay, Alabama Department of Public Health

Unintended Consequences

1) Children will not get required immunizations and communicable diseases will spread.

2) Mothers will not receive adequate prenatal care and babies will require more medical services.

3) U.S. citizen children and those in lawful status will not receive adequate health care.

4) Water and food supplies will not be safe.5) Public health costs will increase.

1) Children will not get required immunizations and communicable diseases will spread.

2) Mothers will not receive adequate prenatal care and babies will require more medical services.

3) U.S. citizen children and those in lawful status will not get adequate health care.

“Waiting rooms that once were full at some county health clinics just a few weeks ago now have empty seats because Hispanic patients stopped showing up.”

-Dr. Jim McVay, Alabama Department of Public Health

4) Water and food supplies will not be safe.

Section 30 of the HB56 Immigration Law: For the purposes of this section, "business

transaction“ includes any transaction between a person and the state or a political subdivision of the state, including, but not limited to, applying for or renewing a motor vehicle license plate, applying for or renewing a driver's license or nondriver identification card, or applying for or renewing a business license. "Business transaction“ does not include applying for a marriage license.

Waterborne Diseases (a few of many):• Tapeworm• Botulism• Malaria• Cholera• E.coli infection• Typhoid fever• SARS• Hepatitis• Polio• Gastroenteritis

Dirty Water=Dirty Food

•Cooked with water

•Washed with water

•Eaten with water

Dirty Food=More Disease

5) Public health costs will increase.

•Alabama’s new immigration law may temporarily reduce the cost of providing medical care to undocumented residents, but it will greatly increase the overall cost of medical care for all residents of Alabama who will be exposed to increased risk and disease as the result of the shortsighted policies listed above. The more people delay primary care, for example, the greater the likelihood that they will require more expensive emergency care down the road.

5) Public health costs will increase (Continued)• This will occur as a sum result of the previous

consequences • Initially lowers the cost of providing medical care to

undocumented residents

• Illegal aliens will delay primary care leading to spread of infectious diseases

• Alabama residents will be exposed to more diseases

• This will lead to more expensive emergency care in the future

Bottom line: All of the people of Alabama are at risk for negative health consequences.

The 4.8 million people of Alabama will suffer unnecessary and increased public health risks as the result of a law intended to punish and drive out 2.5% of the population.

ResourcesBaxter , T. (2012). Alabama's immigration disaster: The harshest law in the land harms the state's economy and

society . Center for American Progress, 1-33. Retrieved from

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/02/pdf/alabama_immigration_disaster.pdf

Center for American Progress Immigration Team. (n.d.). 100 Reasons Why Alabama's Immigration Law is

a Disaster. Retrieved February 19, 2012

Text of Alabama Immigration Law, HB-56. (2011, June 9). Retrieved on February 10, 2012 from

http://latindispatch.com/2011/06/09/text-of alabama-immigration-law-hb-56/

The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on U.S. Taxpayers. (2011, February). Retrieved on February 12, 2012 from

http://www.fairus.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=23190&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=2061

Waslin, M. (2012). Discrediting “self deportation” as immigration policy: Why an attrition through enforcement

strategy makes life difficult for everyone. Immigration Policy Center, February 2012.

Wenig, S. (2011, November 14). Top 10 reasons Alabama’s new immigration law is a disaster for public health.

Retrieved from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/11/alabama_top10_public_health.html