Alabama has a long history of shameful conduct in the nation's civil rights struggles. Heedless of its own history, it is tragically repeating it.

Their story is the same one heard all over the state: they don't dare drive because they're afraid of being detained; they think twice before going to the market to buy food because they're afraid of being detained; they're afraid of going to the doctor because they're afraid of being detained; they're afraid to take their native-born U.S. citizen children to the doctor because they're afraid of being detained.

The panic continues. Federal judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn refused to stop enforcement of immigration law HB 56 while her decision to let the worst provisions of the law stand is appealed by the Department of Justice and civil rights groups.

Pedro and his wife, both of whom are undocumented immigrants, decided to put all their belongings in the car and leave with their son for Arizona. Even with its SB 1070 immigration law, they expect Arizona to treat them better than Alabama under its law HB 56.

Romney forgets that many of those "best and the brightest" are already here, without papers, because they were brought here by their parents when they were babies or young children. They didn't make the decision to come here, but Romney wants to punish them for the actions of others.

As Latinos and as immigrants, the first thing we have to do is thank all the members of the NAACP who gave their lives so that one day we would have a Civil Rights Act and a Voting Rights Act, and ask that as an institution they defend our people, as we will do for them.

That community finds itself in dire straits in Alabama under its new law HB 56, which, even after a court ruling temporarily blocking some provisions from being enforced, continues to wreak havoc among families made up of immigrants, legal residents and citizens, and continues to affect the economy and the image Alabama is projecting to the country and the world.

Immigration agents should prioritize the deportation of those who pose a real threat to public safety, not mothers and fathers who came to this country to devote themselves to work in various industries and create a better future for their families.