This fall, Americans from across our nation celebrated the dedication of a new memorial in Washington, D.C. to the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In his immortal words, Dr. King spoke of living in a nation where his children “will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. ”

Sadly, Dr. King’s dream has not yet been realized. With the introduction of laws in Georgia (HB 87) and Alabama (HB 56), we have seen the emergence of a new era of Jim Crow laws targeting our nation’s Latino community, setting our nation back significantly in the pursuit of racial justice and equality for all.

Georgia’s law gives local police the authority to detain any citizen suspected of being an immigrant to check their immigration status. This means that anyone who simply looks Latino could be subject to having to produce papers that prove their citizenship. Businesses would be required to use a federal electronic verification system before hiring Latino workers or risk losing their licenses.

In Alabama, the law takes an even more sinister approach. In addition to the Georgia provisions, the Alabama law requires schools to check the status of new students when they enroll. This flies in the face of federal law, which not only designates children of immigrants who are born on U.S. soil to be American citizens but also forbids the denial of education to any child in this country.

The chilling effect of this law on our nation’s Latino children is already evident: in the first two weeks of its implementation, Alabama schools have reported unusually high absentee rates among Latino children.

The law also goes further by making it a state crime for anyone who knowingly transports or houses an undocumented immigrant.

Many of the lawmakers who signed on to these bills claimed that their goal was to make more jobs available to American workers. But they failed to take into account that most Americans are not interested in filling the jobs that immigrants do – jobs that often feature hard labor and grueling conditions.

The result: In Georgia, farmers reported a loss of $140 million in crops due to the loss of migrant labor since the law began in July. They tried to fill the void with prison labor, but the effort stalled when they discovered that inmates were not as productive as Latino laborers.

In Alabama, efforts to rebuild areas devastated by this year’s storms have stalled due to the loss of Latino workers who make up a large part of the construction work force in that state. Contractors in Tuscaloosa, Alabama reported that, with the loss of their Latino workforce, they were unable to find replacements to repair the tornado damage.

Both of these laws owe their genesis to two anti-immigration bills passed in Arizona (SB 1070) last year. Fortunately, federal courts struck down the laws, but not before the state suffered extreme economic repercussions. A study conducted by Arizona-based economists for the Center for American Progress found that the Arizona economy took a hit of an estimated $141 million, including $45 million in hotel and lodging cancellations, and $96 million in lost commercial revenue. Fewer tourists meant the loss of 2,761 jobs, $253 million in economic output, and $9.4 million in tax revenues.

Fortunately, a number of states considering similar copycat bills opted out due to concerns over the potential economic fallout. A fiscal-impact analysis conducted by the state Senate in Kentucky projected a cost of $40 million a year to the state if anti-immigration legislation was passed. Tennessee, Florida, Indiana, and other states likewise rejected similar bills for economic reasons.

And just recently, a federal appeals court put certain provisions of the Alabama bill on hold, indicating that the Constitution does not permit states to override the federal government on issues related to foreign policy. Key aspects of the bill are still intact, however, including allowing police to detain those suspected of being in the country illegally or to arrest those who enter into any kind of contract with state or federal government, which includes things as basic as applying for a driver’s license or getting access to city or county water.

As Latinos, we cannot rely on the courts or the economic threat to stem the tide of these bills. We must speak out in our communities and through the ballot box against any attempt to promote racial profiling and override federal constitutional authority to enforce immigration law. We must support efforts by organizations like the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the National Council of La Raza and other organizations that are fighting on the front lines to defeat bills like these that threaten the civil rights of Latinos. And, we must urge Congress to pass rational, comprehensive immigration reform that brings the thousands of immigrants out of the shadows and into a system of earned legalization.

As a nation, our best moments have occurred when people unite against injustice and discrimination – when we stand up for our neighbors. We should remind all Americans that not only is this the best path for our nation economically, but it is also the right path for achieving the dream that Dr. King imagined for all of us 48 years ago.

By: Mickey IbarraFounder, Latino Leaders Network, President, Ibarra Strategy Group

“The Latino Leaders Network honored Henry Cisneros for his lifelong dedication to community, civic and public service and the impact he has made in improving the lives of Latinos and all Americans,” noted LLN founder Mickey Ibarra. “His contributions to the community on issues like education, housing, equal opportunity and business have been felt at the local, state and national level, and for that, we are proud to present him with our Community Service Award.”

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa issued this statement at the event: “In every post Henry has had, he has led. Whether it be in the President’s cabinet, at the helm of a large city, or in business, he has enjoyed great success. But what truly makes Henry a leader is that he has opened doors for so many of us. I often say that the role of the first is to keep the door wide open for those that follow. Henry did just that. Henry, you have been a great friend, mentor and role model for me and for a generation of Latino leaders.” Henry Gabriel Cisneros was born in San Antonio, Texas, in a neighborhood that bordered the city’s predominantly Mexican west side barrio. He attended Texas A&M University, earning a Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning. He earned an additional Master’s in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and studied did doctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received a Doctor of Public Administration from George Washington University as well.

After earning his degrees, he returned to San Antonio and ran for a seat on the Good Government League (GGL) City Council. At age 27, he was elected as the youngest city councilman in the city’s history. He served for six years (three terms) on the City Council before being elected Mayor of San Antonio in 1981. At age 33, Cisneros became the first Hispanic mayor of a major U.S. city. He was reelected to three more terms as mayor by overwhelming margins. In 1992, he was tapped by President Clinton to serve as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). With the appointment, Cisneros became the highest ranking Mexican American official in U.S. politics. During his term, Cisneros reformed the public housing system, implementing the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, also known as the HOPE VI program, and worked tirelessly to widen homeownership opportunities for under-represented groups, including Latino families. After serving a full term with the Clinton Administration, Mr. Cisneros stepped down. He currently serves as the Executive Chairman of CityView where he devotes his efforts to improving the urban environment through CityView’s investment funds.

Cisneros is the co-creator of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a group that comes together on a quadrennial basis to present a platform on the major issues facing the Latino community, and the nation as a whole. Additionally, Cisneros is a co-founder of the New American Alliance, a national organization united to promote the economic advancement of the American Latino community

Cisneros has served on the boards of numerous Latino organizations and has also been honored with many awards and recognitions for his involvement and commitment to Latino issues. In 2007, Cisneros received the prestigious Maestro Award for Leadership, at the Latino Leaders Summit, hosted by Latino Leaders magazine. He is also the recipient of the Cesar Chavez Award from the American Association for Affirmative Action; the President’s Award from the National Council of La Raza; the Visionary Award from the Hispanic College Fund; and the National Leadership Award from the
Hispanic Elected Local Officials.

Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., AT&T and Walmart were co-sponsors for the luncheon. Media partners included the Hispanic Communications Network, Latino Leaders Magazine, LATINAStyle Magazine, Latino Magazine, and the Latino Print Network. Southwest Airlines is the official airline of the Latino Leaders Network.