A Federal court ruled part of the immigration law ordering schools to check the citizenship status unconstitutional.
Protesters outside the Federal courthouse in Tuscaloosa says it's small step forward, but there are still big concerns looming. The court still says Alabama police can continue checking immigration documents for people they stop. That's part of House Bill 56. Many undocumented immigrants are against it and want it repealed.
Undocumented immigrants protested for a better future in front of the Federal building in Tuscaloosa while police looked on.
"I'm here to say I'm a mother, I'm undocumented and I'm unafraid." Brenda Hernandez says she's protesting for medical care her daughter can't get. Victor Palafox says "Here in Tuscaloosa, you had cases where community members were afraid to call the police even through the April tornado last year."
A traveling caravan of undocumented immigrants from Arizona is helping those in other states find their voice. Leticia Ramirez says "We're here to teach people how to fight for themselves to defend themselves and find dignity."
Just before the protest, many learned that an Alabama appeals court blocked state schools from checking citizenship of new students. Parent Trini Garcia says "Today is a small step forward, but the emotional damage has already been done. There are a lot of kids afraid of being immigrants."
Palafox says "Last year, you had cases where parents weren't even enrolling students in schools because they were afraid." He says while the ruling is positive, many are still concerned about House Bill 56. "HB56 should be repealed in it's entirety."
Protesters marched to the University of Alabama where they stopped at Foster Auditorium, the same place where Former Governor George Wallace made his famous stand in the schoolhouse door. Palafox says, "We're undocumented, we're unafraid and we're part of this community."
Palafox also says before the court ruling on Monday, some schools previously asked children to leave because they didn't have legal status, but he did not name which ones in particular.
