Thread: GA-Enrollment in database problematic

Enrollment in database problematic





Published: 08/07/2008


By Ashley Hungerford
Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer



MARIETTA - Several cities in Cobb are going through what some local officials are calling a "frustrating" process to enroll in a federal database per state law to check the immigration status of all business license applicants.


Officials in Acworth, Kennesaw, Marietta and Smyrna said their cities are seeking federal approval with the Department of Homeland Security to enroll in the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements system.

So far none of the cities are fully enrolled in the SAVE system as they are still awaiting final federal authorization.

Enrollment in the system is part of a 2006 state law, sponsored by state Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), that requires governments to perform immigration checks using a federal database on all applicants for public benefits, which include business licenses.

Marietta City Manager Bill Bruton said federal government questioning is making enrollment in the system "extremely frustrating."

Marietta received e-mail confirmation from Homeland Security on July 29 confirming their registration in the system. The e-mail included their user identification and password.

But Bruton said when city staff tried to use the system, they learned there were other layers of approval that they still needed.

Since then, Bruton said they've had to send DHS copies of the state law calling for the enrollment in SAVE and had to prove that the city actually issues business licenses.

"They're questioning our need for this," he said. "We've had to guarantee that we will use it for the purpose we said we would. We hope that we have answered all their questions, but we don't know when we'll actually get to use the system."

Officials with DHS's Immigration and Customs Enforcement could not be reached for comment.

Bruton said Marietta, since 2004, has been using the FBI database, Georgia Crime Information Center and the Immigration Alien Query/Immigration Customs Enforcement database to verify the legal status for license applications.

He said the city decided to enroll in SAVE to have as "many resources at our disposal" to check the immigration status of applicants.

Acworth Mayor Tommy Allegood said the city of Acworth is working to get federal approval and plans to be in full compliance by Sept. 1 to check all business licenses.

"We're in the process of getting ready to implement the SAVE program," Allegood said.

But Allegood said Acworth has been working on enrolling in the system for several months.

"There are several steps in the process," he said.

Kennesaw Mayor Mark Mathews said they too are trying to get everything in line to get federal authorization to use the SAVE system.

"We're currently putting into place all the necessary steps to follow the law," he said. "We've started the process and are still putting the procedures into place."

Wayne Wright, Smyrna city administrator, said the city began the enrollment process two weeks ago and admits the city has had "several hoops to jump through."

"We've done everything we can do at this point, now we just waiting on (the federal government)," he said.

Wright said since they started the enrollement process, they've had "a handful" of business license applicants. He said with those, they've collected an affidavit and are holding the license until they can run it through the SAVE system.It could be a while before the cities are fully enrolled and able to use the SAVE program.

Robert Quigley, county spokesman, said the county first contacted SAVE to get access to the federal database on Oct. 25, 2006, but was not authorized to enroll in SAVE until March 11 of this year.

The county began using the federal database on June 25, but stopped on July 10 because leaders were unclear whether they were authorized by DHS to use it for business license applicants.

The county received its new authorization by DHS on Aug. 4, Quigley said. The county is currently using the system to check the legal status of all non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents for all business registration applications.

On July 24, Cobb Chairman Sam Olens said the county would begin using the SAVE system for all applicants for what is commonly referred to as "business licenses", including occupational tax certificates.

The county initially only used the system for applicants of what the county considered "true" business licenses. Occupation tax certificates are only for "revenue generating purposes."

But anti-illegal immigration activist D.A. King said he felt the law applied to all business registrations, including occupational tax certificates, and filed suit against the county.

After reviewing the state law himself, Olens said he directed staff to make the necessary changes so that all business registrations - business licenses and occupational tax certificates - require an affidavit to verify the immigration status of the applicant.

All of the city officials said they plan to use the SAVE program to check both business licenses and occupational tax certificates.

Officials in Austell said they have not begun the enrollment process for SAVE.

Powder Springs officials could not be reached for comment.


ahungerford@mdjonline.com




http://www.mdjonline.com/content/index/ ... 16316.html

At http://tinyurl.com/6aa3w9

it says

Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program

Eligibility
The SAVE Program is an inter-governmental information sharing initiative designed to aid benefit granting agency workers in determining a non-citizen applicant’s immigration status, and thereby ensure that only entitled non-citizen applicants receive federal, state, or local public benefits and licenses. It is an information service for benefit issuing agencies, institutions, licensing bureaus, and other entities.

NOTE: The SAVE Program does not make determinations on any non-citizen applicant's eligibility for a specific benefit or license.

If you wish to verify the status of a new employee, please visit the Related Links on the right of this page for the "E-Verify Employment Verification Program."