Thread: GA: Lawmakers Discuss Illegal Immigration

Lawmakers Discuss Illegal Immigration

Updated: Tuesday, 08 Feb 2011, 11:51 AM EST
Published : Tuesday, 08 Feb 2011, 11:51 AM EST


Paul
Yates

By MYFOXATLANTA STAFF/myfoxatlanta

ATLANTA - There was another round of hearings at the state capitol Tuesday on legislation cracking down on illegal immigration.

The state house judiciary committee heard testimony on a bill that is similar to Arizona's controversial immigration law.

The Georgia proposal would require local police to check the immigration status of people suspected of being in the country illegally.

Another provision would tell businesses to confirm the immigration status of their workers through the federal e-verify system.

The Georgia Agri-Business Council says that provision would give hard-pressed farmers another layer of government bureaucracy.

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Georgia Politics 6:52 p.m. Monday, February 7, 2011

Georgia businesses express caution about crackdown on illegal immigration
By Jeremy Redmon

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia industries are now weighing in on tough new legislation aimed at illegal immigration here, urging lawmakers to tread cautiously so they won’t do irreparable damage to the state’s economy.
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Georgia state’s agricultural and commercial construction industries singled out provisions in Senate Bill 40 that would require certain businesses to use the federal government's controversial E-Verify system to make sure newly hired employees are eligible to work in this country.
Associated Press Georgia state’s agricultural and commercial construction industries singled out provisions in Senate Bill 40 that would require certain businesses to use the federal government's controversial E-Verify system to make sure newly hired employees are eligible to work in this country.

In testifying before a Senate subcommittee Monday, representatives from the state’s agricultural and commercial construction industries singled out provisions in Senate Bill 40 that would require certain businesses to use E-Verify to make sure newly hired employees are eligible to work in this country.

Critics say E-Verify, a federal program, has accuracy problems and can be burdensome for businesses. A coalition of businesses and immigrant rights groups is suing to stop a similar law in Arizona that requires all businesses to use E-Verify, arguing that it is unconstitutional.

Federal officials, meanwhile, say they are improving the free E-Verify program's accuracy. It automatically confirms 98 percent of employees as being eligible to work in the United States, a federal report says.

In all, the subcommittee heard Monday from about six speakers, all of whom were critical of the legislation.

Before the nearly two-hour-long hearing began, the bill’s sponsor called the legislation “a work in progressâ€