It's the law. Deal with it.

The Beason-Hammon Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act , or simply the Alabama Immigration Act is law. So what do we do now?

The discussion on the United Methodist North Alabama Conference Website, which I referred to last night, makes clear the diversity of opinions about the Act, even by Christians of the same denomination. Thankfully there is a clear effort of the adverse commenters, strained as it may be, to remain grace-like in the discussion. Virtually all of the commenters, pro and con, agree that it does not absolve us as Christians from treating those illegal immigrants with compassion as commanded by Jesus, even as the act is enforced.

So what will that look like?

When a family cannot find a place to live because the Act makes it a criminal offense to lease housing to someone a landlord should reasonably know is here illegally, what will Christians do? Report them to the authorities? To find them shelter elsewhere is a criminal violation for the immigrant and the Good Samaritan. Is the most compassionate thing we can do, if we choose to follow the law, to pray for them as we lead them to the jail for shelter? Do we stand with them as they attempt to explain to their children what is happening and do nothing as they are led away? Is that the best we can do?

When an illegal immigrant is sick or injured, what are we going to do? It is not a violation of the Act for an illegal immigrant to be provided emergency medical care by health providers. So, as Christians are we to wait until the medical problem becomes an emergency before we take them to the hospital?

When a family of illegal immigrants can find no work at all, because even the most simple day labor will result in criminal charges for the immigrant and the one who hires them, how will they live, how will they eat? The Act exempts soup kitchens and like organizations from criminal liability for providing non-cash in kind help, only if the assistance is necessary for safety or to preserve life. So, are we to stand by until the children get sufficiently malnourished before we get them to a soup kitchen?

When does medical care become an emergency? When does poverty require assistance to preserve safety or life? What creates a "reasonable suspicion" that someone is an illegal immigrant?

I don't know. And I don't know if those who may choose to transport illegal immigrants to and from these services are exempt from the aiding and abetting provisions of the law.

Another thing we need to know, since ignorance of the law is no excuse, is that the act makes it illegal to obstruct traffic by stopping at any location to pick up day-laborers, illegal immigrants or not, to transport them to another location for work. It is also a misdemeanor to be the laborer picked up. Being the cynical lawyer that I am I suspect the provision is intended to give a basis for the checking for identification after a heinous violation of this provision. It removes that troublesome requirement for "reasonable suspicion" that someone is an illegal immigrant before being able to demand documentation. I don't believe it would include carpoolers, but you better check with your attorney just to be safe.

"What part of "illegal" aliens do you not understand, Bob?" is the most common response I get to my opposition to the bill. I get that.

But the topic tonight is how do all of us as followers of Jesus, whether we support this law or not, respond to these outlaws, who have thumbed their nose at our law?

I'm not sure, but maybe the same way Jesus responded to the rest of us outlaws.

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