MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives on Tuesday night passed a bill that would crack down on “sanctuary campuses” by restricting millions in state funding.
If the bill passes the Senate and is signed by the governor, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office can withhold any public funding from public colleges and universities that attempt to defy state and federal immigration law or declare themselves sanctuary campuses.
The “Americans First Act” passed 72–28 along party lines after two hours of debate Tuesday night.
It adds to a 2011 immigration law that allows the withholding of funding from cities, counties and other municipalities that declare themselves as sanctuary areas.
Democrats filibustered the bill proposed by Rep. Phil Williams, R-Huntsville, for over two hours.
“If we’ve got a college that does not uphold state or federal law, that college is setting it up to be apart from the law of the land,” Williams said. “If a college acts that way, this would give a mechanism to turn off their funding so that we can ensure that Americans are served first, that tax dollars that support these colleges go to colleges that uphold the law.”
Democrats pressed Williams on the purpose of the bill. They asked if any college or university had declared itself a “sanctuary campus.”
“This bill, to me, is a solution in search of a problem,” said Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham. “It is already illegal for these colleges not to follow federal law. They get federal funds, and I know that when you get federal funds, you have to sign a lot of papers that say you’re going to follow federal law.”
Auburn University has not made any such declaration and no large student movement has arisen to push for such a change.
Williams said he knew of no colleges or universities on the “faculty or president level” that have declared themselves sanctuary areas or have refused to comply with state or federal immigration law, but he doesn’t want to wait.
“I don’t know of any in Alabama today,” Williams said. “Are we always going to be reactionary in this body? Are we going to be the last ones to have helped get something on the books to clarify something when it does become a problem? Do you really think that tomorrow, next year or the next year that this won’t be a problem given what we’re seeing?”
The bill was filed in response to a student movement at the University of Alabama in Huntsville to declare that campus a sanctuary campus. The movement drew little support and the university there never made a move on the administrative level, according to The Montomgery Advertiser.
“There are movements among students today,” Williams said. “They’re part of the puzzle. They are going to put more and more pressure on the adults.”
But Williams’ bill does nothing to limit students who wish for their school to become a sanctuary campus. It only regulates actions by administrators, officials and boards of trustees.
“We’ve had some campus issues with students,” Williams said. “But they are free to do what they want to do.”
It’s about the future, though, Williams said. The bill is an incentive for presidents and boards of trustees to continue following the law. Williams said some college officials are even in support of it because it will give them a “get out of jail free card” to shut down pro-sanctuary movements on their campuses.
“It would be helpful if we had evidence that a problem does exist in Alabama,” Todd said. “Do you see how the public thinks that we’re ridiculous when we’re doing this? Why don’t we deal with Medicaid? Why don’t we deal with adequately funding DHR?”
The bill adds a section to the Beason-Hammon Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act to clarify that two- and four-year public institutions are subject to the act, which gives the state authority to strip funding.
To lose their status, the university, through its board of trustees or another official, must make a public declaration of sanctuary status, refuse to comply with the law or fail to cooperate with law enforcement.
The bill will now head to the Alabama Senate.
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