North Jefferson schools, law enforcement and businesses are all facing changes this week after a federal judge opted not to block Alabama’s new immigration law, meaning much of it is now in effect.

In particular, the law requires police and other law enforcement officers to check documentation during traffic stops and also requires documentation to enroll in public schools.

Bill Bounds is the district manager for One Hundred Oaks manufactured housing community, which has a largely Hispanic population; he said he’s only seen four or five families move out of the community, but that many more are considering leaving.

“I’m trying to tell them not to panic,” he said. “I’m not worried that I’m going to lose tenants. I’m really not. But, a lot of those kids grew up here, and don’t know anything about Mexico, and they’re really scared.”

Bounds said a woman stopped her vehicle near the entrance to One Hundred Oaks and shouted several racial slurs before  driving away. A maintenance worker recorded her car tag and filed a report with police.

“But, as far as I know, nothing’s been done,” said Bounds. “I have a couple of friends who are African-American that came and visited me the other day, and they said it’s like going back to George Wallace days.”

Bounds distributed a letter from Lawrence Properties, Inc., owner of One Hundred Oaks, to tenants in the community. The letter says the company has not made plans to evict any residents.

“We still welcome you to live with us here in our park,” the letter states.

This weekend, five employees, all Hispanic, quit their jobs as maintenance and cleaning staff at Comfort Suites and Holiday Inn in Fultondale, according to the two hotels’ parent company, Stafford Hospitality.

“They were excellent workers. It’s going to be hard to replace them,” said Sharon Parker, director of sales for Stafford Hospitality. According to her, one of the workers said she was stopped by police during a traffic stop, and police discovered her undocumented status.

“I think she came back and told others that police were now checking for documentation, and that may have caused the others to decide to leave,” said Parker. She said the five employees represented about half the cleaning and maintenance workforce for the two hotels, and that they all quit on Saturday morning. According to the new law, all employers will be required to use the federal government’s E-Verify system, which determines whether or not potential employees are legal U.S. residents.

According to figures provided by the Jefferson County Board of Education, absenteeism grew over the last week; 1,846 students were absent from county schools on Monday. Of those, 155 were Hispanic. Monday also saw 22 withdrawals, with seven of those being Hispanic.

“Surprisingly, we’ve not had a lot of withdrawals. Most are staying put for now,” said Fultondale Elementary School Principal Cynde Cornelius. “It’s a scary time for a lot of students.”

Cornelius said the law, as she interprets it, allows students who were enrolled in school before the law activated to stay in school regardless of citizenship status, but that any other students must have proof of citizenship documentation.

“We’re still waiting for some directives from the board of education,” she said. “I think everyone wants to be fair.”

Educators aren’t the only ones that are having to adjust to new laws quickly; law enforcement is also scrambling to train personnel to enforce the law and educate the general public on how the law pertains to them.

Warrior Police Chief Ray Horn said some Warrior police officers were also planning to attend classes held by Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange that will explain the ruling to law enforcement. Horn said he doesn’t feel like law enforcement personnel’s jobs have changed much overnight, but that the changes will eventually come.

“We also have to get some answers on how we actually enforce it and how we can do so without involving racial profiling. Once those questions are answered we will provide the proper training for our deputies and begin the process of enforcement,” said Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Randy Christian.

Many law enforcement officials, such as Gardendale police, are encouraging citizens to always have a driver’s license when driving. Police said if a motorist can’t prove legal U.S. residency during a traffic stop, officers are obligated to transport the person to a magistrate to determine legal residency.

The law’s primary sponsor, Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, could not be reached for comment.