Senators serve on immigration committee


by Ashley Fuller

November 14, 2010 12:00 AM

Cherokee County's state senators are eyeing ideas to crack down on illegal immigration in Georgia.

State Sens. Jack Murphy (Cumming) and Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) were chosen for the Special Joint Committee on Immigration Reform by Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.

The 14-member committee, for which Cagle is co-chairman, is for the upcoming General Assembly drafting legislation to prevent the continued flow of illegal immigrants into the state.

"The members of this committee will take a broad, in-depth look at ways to confront this problem and offer concrete solutions to improve the regulations we have on the books already," Cagle said.

Murphy said the committee at its first meeting heard from counties that use the federal 287(g) program, which trains and authorizes local law enforcement agencies' officers to identify, process and detain immigration offenders. The Cherokee Sheriff's Office is awaiting federal approval to participate in the program.

The committee also met with an out-of-work contractor, who said he followed the law and was put out of business by other contractors who employed illegal immigrants.

"We will look at strengthening enforcement and look at the Board of Regents to make sure they have procedures in place to make sure illegal immigrants are provided an education at taxpayers' expense," he said.

Rogers said there has been an "issue with proper enforcement" when it comes to legislation passed a few years ago.

Senate Bill 529, which Rogers sponsored, requires adults seeking state benefits to be legal residents and sanctions employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

He said some governments still aren't using the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program or e-Verify, a system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees. Cherokee County and its cities all use SAVE before granting services such as business licenses and alcohol permits.

"We need to strengthen enforcement with respect to employers and local governments," Rogers said. "If you are just going to willfully ignore the law, there needs to be some form of consequence."

Rogers noted this law has never been challenged in court.

"I think we are on perfectly sound legal ground," he said.

Jerry Gonzalez, executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, said such legislation would be harmful to the state as a majority of agricultural employees are undocumented workers.

"Representatives and senators should spend time focusing on what would create jobs rather than implement procedures that hurt Georgia and would lose jobs," he said.

Murphy said one serious problem created by illegal immigration is the strain placed on public education.

"We have to educate people, legal or illegal," he said. "It puts a tremendous burden on taxpayers to do that."

Rogers said illegal immigration has an impact on "just about every issue you can imagine."

"It makes a mockery of our entire system of justice that laws are ignored," he said.

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