Gwinnett to use grant to target illegal immigration

October 20, 2008

LAWRENCEVILLE - Gwinnett County is in line for a federal grant to help it combat illegal immigration.

Most of the $152,000 would be used by the sheriff's department to help reimburse the expense of housing illegal aliens who have been convicted of certain types of crimes.

It's the latest step in the county's efforts to combat illegal immigration by taking advantage of programs and services offered by the state and federal governments, such as tools for verifying immigration status.

Commission Chairman Charles Bannister in July directed County government to beef up its compliance with the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act (SB 529). The result: Gwinnett County now checks the immigration status of all sole owner and sole-member limited liability corporation (LLC) applicants for occupation tax certificates.

These applicants are required to sign one of two affidavits.

The first is for U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. The other, for qualified aliens and non-immigrants, triggers verification through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program operated by the federal Department of Homeland Security. The County is limiting verification to sole owner businesses and not to corporations based on the fact that state law states the requirement to verify "any natural person," which would not include corporations. The County also uses SAVE to verify the immigration status of applicants for housing assistance.

Bannister has encouraged the efforts and says, "I feel strongly that tax dollars should not be used for the benefit of people who have entered our country illegally. It's not only a matter of protecting the taxpayer, but we're also talking about our community's security."



Gwinnett has been using the federal online E-Verify system to confirm information submitted by potential new hires for county government jobs since July 2007, and the Board of Commissioners amended the purchasing ordinance to require its primary contractors and subcontractors to do so as well. In order to ensure that these contractors are following the rules, the County periodically conducts random compliance audits.

In another move to mitigate the effects of illegal immigration on the community, the Board of Commissioners last spring approved hiring 18 new deputies in the Sheriff's Department to boost that agency's eligibility to participate in the 287(g) program through the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. ICE's approval of the application is pending. The program would authorize trained sheriff's deputies to check the immigration status of all non-U.S. born detainees with the intent of starting deportation proceedings on those who are here illegally.

The County Commission Tuesday will consider accepting accept a grant from the Department of Justice for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program in the amount of $152,247. The majority of the funds would go to the Sheriff's Department, with a small percentage going to the Corrections Department, to help reimburse the expense of housing illegal aliens who have been convicted of certain types of crimes listed within the grant's guidelines.

"I am proud that Gwinnett County government is leading the state in looking for ways to mitigate the effects that illegal immigration has on our society, and we will continue to push ahead," said Bannister. "That being said, local governments must also be careful not to extend enforcement beyond the intent of state or federal laws. There is a real cost to taxpayers arising from enforcement challenges."

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