MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Pre-filed legislation for the 2025 legislative session would enhance penalties for undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes in Alabama.
If an undocumented immigrant was charged with a Class D felony, House Bill 3 would enhance that punishment to be that of a Class C felony, and so on. If an individual was charged with a Class A felony, the punishment would be enhanced to 15 to 99 years in prison. If an individual was charged with a Class A misdemeanor involving a child, the punishment would be that of a Class C felony, according to the bill.
Bill sponsor Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollingers Island, told Alabama Daily News he was not approached by any advocacy group to write the bill and he came up with the idea on his own.
“It came out of frustrations at the national level and inability to enforce our immigration laws, while at the same time seeing the crimes that are being committed by illegal aliens in our state and in our country,” Brown said.
He said he hears similar frustrations from his constituents almost daily.
“At the end of the day, I just have to do what I think is right for the people of my district and for the people of the state of Alabama,” Brown said.
A similar law was enacted in Florida this year.
Although Brown expected the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama to be opposed to the bill, ACLU told ADN it did not have a position on it. Brown also mentioned the Southern Poverty Law Center as an expected opponent. Efforts to reach SPLC were not immediately successful.
House Bill 7, sponsored by Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, would provide guidelines for state and local law enforcement to enter partnerships with the federal agencies for enforcing immigration laws.
If passed, the bill will be named the Laken Riley Act. The 22-year-old college student was allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant on the University of Georgia’s main campus while on a run, according to authorities.
Efforts to reach Yarbrough were not immediately successful.
The 2025 legislative session begins in early February.