Thread: Ga. immigration law lacks funding, muscle

Ga. immigration law lacks funding, muscle
By Savannah Morning News
Created 2008-06-28 23:30

ATLANTA - The "sweeping" immigration reform bill passed by the Georgia General Assembly two years ago appears to be anything but.

Many local governments - including about one-third of the county governments in the state - have been slow to comply with the state law requiring them to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining employment and a host of taxpayer-funded benefits. And state oversight is absent because of a lack of funding.

Touted as the most stringent state-sponsored immigration crackdown in the nation, the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act of 2006 requires governments to use federal programs to ensure employees hired by the state, counties and cities - and all contractors and subcontractors working on their behalf - are legal citizens of the United States.

The act also mandates that those governments verify the citizenship status of anyone applying for public benefits such as welfare, professional and commercial licenses, and publicly assisted housing.

Enrollment in the two federal programs makes clear that usage is sparse in Georgia.

By early May, 62 of Georgia's 159 counties had not enrolled in a free U.S. Department of Homeland Security program that checks the citizenship status of potential employees, known as E-Verify, according to the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia.

Some county officials were unaware their government was breaking state law.

"It looks like to me we're probably in violation," but no one has said so, said Fred Russell, city administrator for Richmond County, which is following the employment verification portion of the law.

Russell said the county, which is enrolled in E-Verify, requires contractors to submit an affidavit attesting their employees legally reside in the United States. He added that county officials toss out bids from contractors that have not submitted the documentation.

Observers say even fewer governments are enrolled in a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services program that checks the citizenship status of applicants for welfare, food assistance, unemployment and other public benefits.

Only nine governments or agencies in the state are using or have applied to use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program, known as SAVE, according to D.A. King, founder and president of the Marietta-based Dustin Inman Society, an anti-illegal immigration group. Six of those agencies were state departments.

USCIS officials did not provide data on how many governments are enrolled in SAVE, despite repeated requests made in the past week and a half.


Little the state can do to enforce law

Although violations appear to be widespread, there is apparently little the state can do about it.

The law contains no penalties for cities and counties that break it.

Moreover, the General Assembly has yet to provide funding to the Georgia Department of Labor to monitor whether public employers are following the law, said Sam Hall, spokesman for the department.

Supporters of the law say something needs to be done to enforce it.

"There needs to be consequences for violating this law. The taxpayers expect it," said Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson, R-Savannah.

Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, who authored the act, said local governments may not grasp how the law defines a "public benefit." But noncompliance is not an option.

"Just simply ignoring it is not the answer," Rogers said.

He said his goal right now is to get governments to comply, not to punish them.

Local governments may be in a quandary over the law's requirements, officials said.

"I think there is some confusion as to what type of things you have to have verification for," said Michelle NeSmith, research and policy development director for the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia.

NeSmith said a handful of the 62 counties in violation in May are probably in compliance now, and a few may have fewer than 100 employees and will not need to be compliant until July 2009.

NeSmith had no information about how many counties are using the SAVE program.

Legislation that would have put in jeopardy state funding for counties and cities violating the act cleared the Senate in the past legislative session but was gutted when it reached the house, Rogers said.

King, of the Dustin Inman Society, said he did not know of specific cases of illegal immigrants receiving employment or public benefits the state law is supposed to keep from them.

But, he says, "the chances of it not having happened are infinitesimal."

The same goes for counties and cities that do not require contractors to attest that their workers are legal.

"It is very possible and likely they are hiring illegal aliens," King said.


Make voters aware

With statewide elections on the horizon, King said he plans to make voters aware that their elected officials are skirting the law.

"We never dreamed elected officials of local governments would be in defiance of the law," King said.

All public employers with more than 500 employees were required to comply with the law as of July 2007. By July 2008, public employers with more than 100 employees must comply. Every public employer must be in compliance by July 2009.

Participation in the federal programs is voluntary, but the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act made participation mandatory for public agencies.

http://savannahnow.com/node/525122

It seems like we can't trust things that have been passed.

We were also mandated a border fence.

They just pass things to appease us.

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www.campaignforliberty.com

www.revolutionmarch.com

Well, there are low-cost solutions to some of this. The state doesn't need any funding for the Governor to send letters to all Mayors, Police Chiefs, County Commissioners and Sheriffs Departments that informs them of the 4 or 5 key points of the law, include a little handbook that alerts them to the fact that failure to comply is subject to fine and prosecution, send it certified mail, return receipt requested.

A follow up letter sent to the same folks by the Attorney General advising and alerting them of the same thing, would get the job done.

cc: all media in the state with a Press Release

Then construct a little website for the citizens to go to find out what the law is, how it protects their interests, and give them a Hot Line number to call about any failures to comply in their town.

Put the Hot Line straight into the Attorney General's Office and you'll see a big change in compliance.

All excellent suggestions, Judy!

Here's a good place to start:

Athens, Georgia, Police pass on role in roundup of illegal aliens
"We have to work with immigrants, especially the good guys, because they are a part of the community," Brown said. "If we work in conjunction with (ICE), we'll be perceived as the guys who send them back to Mexico, then we won't get their help." "Immigrants are here and not going back, and we have to work with them," Brown said. "We try to surgically remove the bad guys from their community and not be perceived as attacking and harassing the good folks."
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/062 ... 8037.shtml

The Georgia Minuteman Civil Defense Corps
http://www.minutemanhq.com/state/index.php?chapter=ga

Originally Posted by Buzzm1

Here's a good place to start:

Athens, Georgia, Police pass on role in roundup of illegal aliens
"We have to work with immigrants, especially the good guys, because they are a part of the community," Brown said. "If we work in conjunction with (ICE), we'll be perceived as the guys who send them back to Mexico, then we won't get their help." "Immigrants are here and not going back, and we have to work with them," Brown said. "We try to surgically remove the bad guys from their community and not be perceived as attacking and harassing the good folks."
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/062 ... 8037.shtml

The Georgia Minuteman Civil Defense Corps
http://www.minutemanhq.com/state/index.php?chapter=ga

Yep, Athens Police Department needs a certified letter, doesn't it? The people of Georgia want the help of the Athens Police Department to round up and deport illegal aliens, not use the help of illegal aliens for whatever other criminal nonsense they are causing. When you deport illegal aliens, you deport the crime. Then you don't need their help, because neither they nor their crimes are in your town because neither are in our country.

Duh!

Originally Posted by Buzzm1

Here's a good place to start:

Athens, Georgia, Police pass on role in roundup of illegal aliens
"We have to work with immigrants, especially the good guys, because they are a part of the community," Brown said. "If we work in conjunction with (ICE), we'll be perceived as the guys who send them back to Mexico, then we won't get their help." "Immigrants are here and not going back, and we have to work with them," Brown said. "We try to surgically remove the bad guys from their community and not be perceived as attacking and harassing the good folks."
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/062 ... 8037.shtml

The Georgia Minuteman Civil Defense Corps
http://www.minutemanhq.com/state/index.php?chapter=ga

TOTAL BS! Illegal aliens have proven to be liars. They lie when they sign affidativs that they are US citizens, they lie when they apply for any job in the US (fake id, stolen id, multiple id)! Why would anyone think they would HONESTLY help ANY law enforcement officers? They will LIE when it suits their purposes. They lie when it's PROFITABLE for them. They are told to lie by activists. They lie to protect other illegal aliens (yes, even gang members!).

Explain to me WHY police officers would ever need or expect their help?!?!

A better question is, how many criminals are caught with the help of an illegal alien?

DEPORT!!!!!!!!!

I would imagine the Athens Police Department wants their help finding where the illegal drugs are so they can grab the drugs for their personal booty train.

There is no other explanation.

Traitors!