HB56: There was tears in his eyes

The results of the immigration law stretched even further than just the Hispanic population. It has effected a man from Kenya.

"My church family is here, I have made a life here. The immigration law has caused me to have to leave."

He stood before the church service holding the microphone and tears flowed down his face. He couldn't speak, I could feel his emotion in the back row.

Alabama HB 56, entitled the Hammon-Beason Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act, is an anti-illegal immigration bill, signed into law in the U.S. state of Alabama in June 2011. As a result of this law it called for this man to volunteer himself to leave the United States after he gave his plea to stay in the country and was denied on three accounts.

After filing under the reasons of his own well-being, then his work done as a musician for his church and after not being married to an American citizen he was denied permission to stay in the country.

So he volunteered to go because if he was deported he wouldn't be able to return.

His friend, who was also affected by the law, was in the congregation of the church and went to stand with him while he finished his story.

"I just want to thank the church for praying with me," he said. "I hope I get the opportunity to return."

He said he spent so much money on a lawyer that he gave a plea to the congregation to help him by raising money for his plane ticket.

HB56 is a law of that should encourage citizens to obtain full citizenship, not deny those who try to obtain it.

It shouldn't cause tears to flow down the cheeks of a man who knows this country as home.