N.J. senator targets immigrant hiring after AZ law upheld




Associated Press - February 18, 2008 11:44 AM ET

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A New Jersey Senate leader says he will push legislation to punish businesses who knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.

Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney says his decision comes after a federal judge upheld a new Arizona law that prohibits businesses from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants and yanks the business licenses of those that do.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service in 2003 estimated that New Jersey had 221,000 illegal immigrants.

Under Sweeney's measure, which he said he will introduce next week, first-time offenders would have their business licenses suspended for 10 days. Second offenses would bring permanent revocations.

On February 8th, a federal judge in Arizona dismissed a lawsuit filed by business groups against Arizona's law, which was approved last year by the Republican-led Legislature and Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano
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