By JACQUELINE GAMEZ

Special to the Press-Register

As an immigrant from Mexico, I fear Alabama legislators’ proposed immigration legislation will hurt the economy, will endanger innocent people and is unconstitutional.

There are millions of illegal immigrants in the U.S. Why? Because the United States is unquestionably the best country in the world and offers hope for a better life.

People frequently say, “Illegals need to go to the back of the line, and come in the front door.” But the truth is, for most immigrants, there is no line and there is no door. The reason is there is no federal visa for unskilled labor.

There are four things the Alabama Legislature should consider as it tries to solve the problem of illegal immigration:

— The proposed Alabama law will adversely impact the state’s economy.

Sen. Scott Beason, the bill’s sponsor, says it will create jobs for Alabamians. But I ask: If immigrants leave, who will clean your house and yard? Who will pick your fruit and vegetables, and who will Alabama businesses rely on to do their unskilled and low-paying jobs?

President George W. Bush, when announcing his plans for a three-year work visa for immigrant workers, said: “Allowing undocumented workers to work legally would benefit all Americans and would satisfy the need of employers for workers willing to take low-wage, low-skilled jobs unwanted by many Americans.”

Currently immigrant labor is used on farms, in chicken production, construction, landscaping, house and hospital cleaning.

And I ask: When was the last time that you went to a restaurant and did not see a Mexican working?

— The proposed law is likely to be declared unconstitutional.

The proposed Alabama legislation is similar to that of Arizona, which has been declared unconstitutional by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court said that Congress has given the federal government sole authority to enforce immigration laws, and that Arizona’s law violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The federal court blocked the provision requiring police to question people’s immigration status, saying that the Arizona statute “is an unlawful entry into the foreign policy of the United States.”

Another provision of the proposed Alabama law is purely punitive, designed to embarrass and humiliate children of immigrants. It would ban them from all extracurricular school activities including the prom, drama, art, the school band and sports.

Why punish children who had no say in where they were born or raised?

— The law would hurt innocent people and endanger Alabama’s business climate.

Allowing immigrants to be stopped and questioned about their legal status by law enforcement opens the door to abuse. While the proposed law is targeted against illegal Hispanics, it could hurt innocent Hispanics.

For example, I am a likely target because of the way I look and speak. Even though I am here legally, police would not know that until they pulled me over and questioned me.

If they can do this to me, they can also do it to you, because if the law passes, it has to apply equally to everyone including the Spanish at BBVA Compass, the Japanese workers at Honda and Toyota, the German workers at Mercedes and the South Koreans at Hyundai.

We should give Alabama the opportunity to become more of an international business community. The proposed law would work against the success Alabama has had in attracting international business investors.

It is so obvious that the proposed law is unconstitutional and will harm innocent people, it makes one wonder whether it is being done to fix the problem or just for political showmanship.

— The problem of illegal workers is a federal issue.

A better solution is for the federal government to penalize businesses that hire illegal workers and to provide a way for immigrants to become legal workers.

Former President George W. Bush pointed out that America became a great power because “we welcomed the talent, the character and the patriotism of immigrant families. We must make our immigration laws more rational and more humane.”

It is for these reasons that we must encourage the Legislature to focus on the real key to Alabama’s future — education — and encourage President Obama and Congress to enact immigration reform.

Then we can really solve the problem of illegal immigration and provide a solution that recognizes the rights of individuals and the needs of American business.

A native of Mexico and legal resident of the United States, Jacqueline Gamez lives with her U.S.-born husband in Birmingham, where she is an office manager and tax preparer for Jackson Hewitt. Her email address is gamez.jacqueline@gmail.com.