Karlapalem Condemns Tuberville's ASSIMILATION Act: "Immigrants Are Not Leeches. We Never Were."

From the Karlapalem campaign

May 18

MADISON, Alabama — Hanu Karlapalem, Democratic nominee for Alabama State House District 4, today issued a community statement condemning Tuberville's newly introduced ASSIMILATION Act, calling it a coordinated attack on legal immigrants, H-1B visa holders, international students, naturalized American citizens, and on birthright citizenship — not a border security measure.

"Not one major provision of this bill targets undocumented immigration," said Hanu. "This bill has nothing to do with the badly needed immigration reform this country deserves. The bi-partisan bill was killed in 2024"

Tuberville declared last week on the U.S. Senate floor: "Mass immigration is a leech that is slowly bleeding this country dry." Hanu was direct and said "Tuberville was not talking about people crossing the border illegally. He was talking about the engineers at Redstone Arsenal. The researchers at UAH. The doctors and nurses at Huntsville Hospital, Madison Hospital, Decatur Morgan Hospital. The senior software engineers such as my wife Vidya, who has stood beside this community for 31 years. People like me. People like you."

Hanu responded directly to Tuberville's accusations. "Since you want to talk about who is bleeding this country dry, let me be specific. A $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund to pay off January 6th defendants who were convicted and later pardoned by Trump — approximately $1 million per defendant. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill delivers $4.5 trillion in tax cuts — $65,000 average to the top 1%, $110 to the bottom 20% — while 12 million Americans lose their health insurance. Eight-eight of America's largest corporations paid zero federal income taxes. Private prison companies billing $152 per detainee per day — over 66,000 people detained by the secret police, the majority of whom have no criminal record and some of whom are U.S. Citizens — costing American taxpayers $10 million every single day while Alabama families cannot afford groceries. And right here in Montgomery: $250 million of public school dollars handed out to private vouchers with zero accountability.

Hundreds of thousands of Alabamians denied Medicaid while rural hospitals close and women die in childbirth.

Politicize Alabama’s public universities and abolish academic freedom — drive away the engineers and scientists that built North Alabama's economy. SB1 and HB1 — Jim Crow 2.0 — voiding votes and stripping Black Alabamians of their representation. Washington and Montgomery. Same team. Same playbook. That is who is bleeding this country dry, Tuberville. Not immigrants."

The ASSIMILATION Act would cut the annual H-1B visa cap to 50,000, eliminate OPT for international graduates from U.S. Universities, raise the citizenship residency requirement after receiving the green card from five to ten years — a requirement that would apply to the doctors, nurses, professors, scientists, engineers, cybersecurity specialists, and AI researchers that built this community, impose a B2-level English proficiency test for naturalization (significantly higher than what current law requires), and end birthright citizenship — a right guaranteed by the 14th Amendment.

The word "ASSIMILATION" itself carries a sinful and painful history — used to justify tearing Native American children from their families in boarding schools designed to strip them of their language, culture, and identity. "Kill the Indian, save the man." That was the policy. The Constitution does not mention "assimilation" — not once, not in the original text, not in any of the 27 amendments.

History refutes Tuberville's accusations. Andrew Carnegie built America's steel industry. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Albert Einstein built our scientific superiority. Wernher von Braun built the rockets that took America to the moon — right here in Huntsville. Today, Sundar Pichai leads Google, Satya Nadella leads Microsoft, and Jensen Huang leads Nvidia — powering America's Artificial Intelligence race against China. Elon Musk, whom Tuberville's own party celebrates, is an immigrant. The ASSIMILATION Act would have kept most of them out.

Tuberville's hate toward the immigrant community is documented. In 2021, as hate crimes against Asian Americans surged, Tuberville attempted to gut the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act with amendments requiring hate crime victims to disclose their immigration status and political affiliation. As then-Chairman of the Asian

Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders Caucus of the Alabama Democratic Party, Hanu publicly rebuked him. Ninety-two senators voted for the bill. Tuberville never apologized.

The co-author of this bill, Congressman Andy Ogles, stated the goal openly in his official congressional press release: "end replacement migration" — the language of the Great Replacement white nationalist conspiracy theory.

SB21 — a bill pending in committee at the Alabama statehouse — would amend Alabama's constitution to bar naturalized citizens from holding public office. "It is unconstitutional and un-American. It creates second-class citizenship," said Hanu. Parker Moore has said nothing about SB21, nothing about Tuberville calling legal immigrants a leech, and nothing about a bill that ends birthright citizenship. "Silence is not neutrality. Silence is complicity."

Parker is extreme. He does not support the full Constitution. He supports the parts and amendments that are convenient to him. Parker voted YES on HB1 — Jim Crow 2.0 — voiding votes and stripping Black Alabamians of their congressional and state senate representation.

Parker voted NO on a bipartisan bill — co-sponsored by Rep. Phillip Ensler — supported by law enforcement officers across Alabama. Governor Kay Ivey signed into law — calling Glock switches “illegal and extremely dangerous”. Parker could not stand with law enforcement, a bipartisan majority, or his own governor.

Hanu challenged Parker for three debates — one in each county. No response. Seven months — no answer on whether Hanu should hold public office as a Naturalized U.S. Citizen. If he has time for ribbon cuttings, photo ops, and gossip outlets — he has time to face the voters.

Parker can avoid the debates. He can ignore Hanu’s emails. But he cannot avoid November 3rd. The voters of District 4 will be heard.

"Tuberville — immigrants are not leeches. We never were. We built this country. We are still building it. And we are not going anywhere."

A direct word to voters in Morgan, Limestone, and Madison counties:

Congressional District 5 and Alabama House District 4 are not affected by this redistricting chaos. Your May 19 votes count. Go vote on Tuesday, May 19.

We will defeat Parker Moore and his Republican supermajority on November 3rd and build an Alabama we can afford — lower costs, stronger public schools, real healthcare. Hanu will continue to fight for every Alabamian — by birth or by choice. Economy First. People First. Constitution First. Hanu urges all eligible voters in Alabama

State House District 4 — Morgan, Limestone, and Madison counties — to vote in the May 19 primary, register, organize, and turn out for the November 3, 2026 general election.

— Hanu Karlapalem, Democratic Nominee, Alabama State House District 4

SOURCES & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The ASSIMILATION Act

Tuberville Senate press release: tuberville.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/tuberville-introduces-assimilation-act/

Tuberville Senate floor speech: tuberville.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/tuberville-assimilate-or-go-home/

House companion bill (Rep. Andy Ogles): ogles.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-ogles-sen-tuberville-introduce-assimilation-act-end-mass-migration-and

J6 Slush Fund

NBC News — DOJ sets up $1.776B anti-weaponization fund: nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-voluntarily-drops-10-billion-lawsuit-irs-leaked-tax-records-rcna345193

HuffPost — Trump wants $1.7B fund to pay Jan. 6 rioters: huffpost.com/entry/trump-lawsuit-irs-jan-—settlement_n_6a0749b7e4b098065be99de5

Big Beautiful Bill

Center for American Progress — 7 Ways the Big Beautiful Bill Cuts Taxes for the Rich:

americanprogress.org/article/7-ways-the-big-beautiful-bill-cuts-taxes-for-the-rich/

News Coverage

New India Abroad — ASSIMILATION Act analysis: newindiaabroad.com/english/immigration/new-republican-bill-tightens-h1b-asylum-rules

WHNT19 — Tuberville COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act amendments (2021): whnt.com/news/tuberville-puts-forward-amendments-to-covid-19-hate-crimes-act-asian-americans-ask-for-apology

Hanu Karlapalem is a Madison, Alabama resident of 26 years, small technology business owner, UAH M.S.graduate, and Life Member and former Second Vice President of the Limestone County NAACP. He has been onthe frontlines fighting against hate and bigotry, for voting rights and freedoms, and to protect our democracy andthe Constitution. He has been married for 31 years and has deep roots in the North Alabama community throughcivic, professional, and community service. He is the Democratic nominee for Alabama State House District 4 in the November 3, 2026, general election.

For more information: https://www.hanu4alabama.com