Even documented workers driven out by Alabama law

"Alabama's strict new immigration law may be backfiring. Intended to force illegal workers out of jobs, it is also driving away many construction workers, roofers and field hands here legally who do backbreaking jobs that Americans generally won't. ... Rick Pate, the owner of a commercial-landscaping company in Montgomery, lost two of his most experienced workers, who were in the country legally. ... Blake Corder, the president of the Home Builders Association of Tuscaloosa, noted that the workers had left the area and he even lost a few renters in the past week.  Builders have complained they can't find replacement workers, and delays in projects are expected. Once the economy picks up and construction returns to normal, the impact will increase, said Russell Davis, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Alabama."

Associated Press, Oct. 9, 2011.