MONTGOMERY, Ala., June 9 (UPI) -- Alabama's governor signed a "tough" illegal immigration law Thursday that tells police to check the status of those stopped by officers, his spokesman says.
Police are required to check a person's immigration status when officers suspect he or she may be in the country illegally whenever someone is stopped for any reason.
The law signed by Republican Gov. Robert Bentley is set to go into effect Sept. 1 and makes Alabama the latest in a series of states with controversial illegal immigration laws, including Georgia and Arizona, CNN reported.
A fact sheet from Alabama House Republicans says the bill requires police "to attempt to determine the immigration status of a person who they suspect is an unauthorized alien of this country," CNN reported.
The law also makes it a crime to transport or house an illegal immigrant.
State officials are also required to check the status of students, and any business that hires an illegal immigrant is also subject to penalties, the report said.
CNN said civil rights groups and Mexico have condemned the law.
