Thread: Fl: Bay County sheriff construction site enforcement!!!!!!!!

This guy deserves a medal and all Sheriff's should be doing the same! I'm sure this is getting the word out to contractors and they will stop hiring illegals b/c they know the Sheriff has the law on his side and is enforcing it! Kudos to this Sheriff!

PRESS RELEASE-

January 09, 2008
For Immediate Release

Update on Illegal Alien Enforcement

Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen issued an update today, January 9, 2007, on the illegal alien enforcement effort he began earlier this year.

Since September 2007, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office has conducted twenty-seven construction site visits investigating violations of Florida State Statute 817.568, the criminal use of personal identification information. Once a complaint is received about the presence of illegal aliens working on a construction site, investigators conduct a site visit and ask to review records on employees to validate information used to gain employment.

In September 2007 there were eight arrests and ten warrants issued for individuals using fraudulent social security numbers to obtain employment. In October there were ten individuals arrested. In December 2007 there was one individual arrested on this charge. On twenty-two of the last twenty-seven site visits investigators found no violations by employees.

"I feel the proactive action we have taken has resulted in a sharp decline of illegal aliens using fraudulent social security numbers to get hired in Bay County," Sheriff McKeithen said. " As we investigate complaints, we now find the majority of sites with all employees in compliance."

Sheriff McKeithen also emphasized that this decline in arrests does not mean that construction site visits will slow down. " We will continue to actively follow up all complaints we receive concerning the employment of individuals with fraudulent documentation and stolen social security numbers. I feel that by maintaining our efforts we can maintain success in this effort."

Other states must have a similar statute??

I wish Miami Dade County and municipal police departments would do the sa me. What I find interesting is that to have a contract with the county you need to pay employees a living wage. If this is enforced then why do they still have illegals as it would not save the employer any money.

There are many benefits to employers in working illegals besides just the low wages.

There are usually no taxes to be collected or matched - the only reporting is a 1099 at the end of the year. Many are considered contract labor. There is quite often no workman's comp paid. Also, workplace safety issues are not as stringent. The employer can simply send the illegal to an ER if he is hurt and we taxpayer foot the bill.

Also, I am not sure they pay a lot of attention to how many hours these people work.

When posting a news article please don't forget to also post the source of info.
Found it at:
http://www.wmbb.com/gulfcoastwest/mbb/n ... -0008.html

(From a non-Law Enforcement person here... eg. ME) - I think it's great that the sheriff there is using the safety statute as justification for such inspections and compliance. Correct me if I'm wrong - this is the sort of function that a typical city or county would perform using "Code Enforcement" or OSHA-type inspectors perhaps?

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-2855--0-0.html

Originally Posted by nntrixie

There are many benefits to employers in working illegals besides just the low wages.

There are usually no taxes to be collected or matched - the only reporting is a 1099 at the end of the year. Many are considered contract labor. There is quite often no workman's comp paid. Also, workplace safety issues are not as stringent. The employer can simply send the illegal to an ER if he is hurt and we taxpayer foot the bill.

Also, I am not sure they pay a lot of attention to how many hours these people work.

In order to file a 1099 for an employee, the employee cannot be told when and where to show up for work. If he is, he is not a contractor and is an employee. In order to file a 1099 on an employee, that employee has to be a licensed contractor, which is not enforced hardly at all. The 1099 excludes the employer from having to pay his 7.1% for SS and can avoid the Workman's Comp premiums. If a worker is injured on the job and is on a 1099, he can still sue the employer. I guess if that employee is an illegal, the hospital just doesn't bill the employee. That's gotta change.

That definitely has to change Rock fish. They also need to start enforcing the licensed contractor rules as well as up holding current safety standards. I have mentioned this before and will say it again. Since illegals began taking over constrcution jobs the increase in construction accidents has increased greatly. We have had many killed on the job or seriously injured in South Florida. Now that the construction boom is over there is less work and thus fewer injuries. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out.

Hallelujah for Sherriff Frank McKeithen of Bay, FL for ENFORCING THE LAW! I'll be working on the sherriff of Lee County to start this practice since there's a Florida state statute allowing this! It's about time!

p.s. As a Bonita Springs, FL resident, to anyone in Bonita Springs, PLEASE vote for FULKER for mayor. He seems to be the only one throwing a fit and insisting on enforcement on the illegal immigration problem in Bonita. There are plenty of illegals who ride their bicycles at night with NO LIGHTS. An acquantaince of mine hit one who was drunk. It's a public safety issue, quality of life issue and a TAXPAYER issue. I'm tired of having my tax dollars go to people here ILLEGALLY. It's bad enough the gov't forces me to give taxes to those I feel are able bodied to work but choose not to, but to give to ILLEGALS -- unacceptable! I encourage everyone in Lee County, FL and ANY COUNTY IN THE US to call your local sheriff and insist they send their deputies/officers for training for the 287g program through ICE. Collier County did it several months ago and it's working. They are self deporting. If more counties do it, they'll have nowhere to hide.