Thread: Marietta verifying workers' legal status electronically

Marietta verifying workers' legal status electronically

By BILL HENDRICK
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/28/07

The city of Marietta said Tuesday it is now participating in a new federal program aimed at verifying that all newly hired city employees are eligible to work in the United States.

The E-Verify program is Internet-based and provides an automated link to federal databases to help employers and contractors determine eligibility of new hires and validate their Social Security numbers.

Marietta officials said they are trying to comply with requirements of the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act, which is designed to discourage the hiring of illegal workers by state and local governments and their contractors.

Fran Diedrich, the city of Marietta's personnel director, said the city is at the forefront of the new employment eligibility verification program and is fully complying with federal law.

The E-Verify program is free to employers in all states. The federal government offers several free programs to verify documents presented by new employees. E-Verify compares employee information with immigration databases and Social Security data.

Officials say more than 20,000 employers are using the free E-Verify program, three times as many as early last year. It's against the law to hire illegal immigrants.

There has been friction recently between local governments in Cobb and immigrant workers.

In Marietta, day laborers are banned from seeking temporary work and it's also unlawful for employers to hire day laborers on the streets, sidewalks, parking lots, public property or public rights of way.

Cobb County recently considered adopting a similar ordinance but backed off, citing a federal court decision recently that struck down laws that the town of Hazleton, Pa., had adopted to crack down on illegal immigration.

A federal judge ruled that Hazleton's Illegal Immigration Relief Act was unconstitutional. It sought to impose fines on landlords who rent to illegal immigrants and deny business permits to companies that give them jobs.

Cobb County said it was delaying any action on illegal immigration until its attorneys ponder the outcomes of court cases pending around the country.

Hispanic leaders contend rules restricting day labor are unconstitutional and that they are prepared to go to court to fight them.

Marietta Mayor Bill Dunaway has said the city feels it's on solid legal ground and that he feels the its ordinance is constitutional.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/ ... _0828.html

D. A. King will stay on them

It's a start.