Vivian Davis Figures on Immigration Democratic Senate Challenger; member of State Senate

Providing benefits to non-citizens is simply irresponsible

A: In 2006, of 19 cases examined, the Social Security Administration improperly approved 17 for benefits. The error of providing individual's social security while an individual lacks citizenship is simply irresponsible. We must properly make needed adjustments to our Social Security system before including full access to illegal immigrants. As such, totalization agreements must be re-examined and re-negotiated as to ensure that we are not breaking an already struggling system.

English-only law are divisive and reek of segregation

"They just reek division," said Sen. Vivian Davis Figures, D-Mobile. "They just smell bad. They're awful." She said the bills would hurt residents who don't speak fluent English.

Figures likened the bills' sponsor, Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, t Wallace and his segregation-era effort to stop blacks from attending the University of Alabama. "I think about you standing in the door... just the way Governor Wallace did so many years ago," she said. "We need to be doing things and working together in bringing people together, rather than these emotional issues all the time that just pull people apart."

Beason replied that requiring more official use of English would bind citizens together and avoid division.