Thread: Patriots rally against illegal immigration at State House

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7993776

VIDEO INCLUDED

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - Around 100 people rallied at the State House Monday, angry and demanding something be done about illegal immigration laws.

A conference committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday morning to hash out House and Senate differences on legislation.

It's an issue that stirs strong emotions.

It's "one nation," yes -- but there is clearly division in South Carolina when it comes to the illegal immigration issue.

"They're bringing in diseases, they're draining our social services, they're draining our school systems," said protester Susan Seda.

This press conference was sponsored by a group that calls itself the "Americans Have Had Enough Coalition."

Its executive director, Roland Garcia-Quintana, is an immigrant who proudly calls himself an American.

"My parents are from Spain and moved to Cuba. I was made in Havana and born in Savannah," said Quintana. "I Immigrated but there's a process you go through. I don't care how long it takes you to do it."

Quintana and his followers say they've lost optimism in state lawmakers and a plan meant to cut down on illegal immigrants in our state by requiring some businesses to check the status of employees and to prosecute businesses that hire illegals.

"When a contractor or employers is facing the threat of his license being stripped away he's going to stop doing that," said Quintana.

It's a plan they say has been so watered down in the legislative process, it has no teeth.

"Why even bother? Why even bother?" asked Quintana.

Watering down a bill that would require businesses with public contracts to check the status of their employees through a federal verification program.

"They don't pay a tax, they don't pay people a fair wage. They don't pay benefits they'd be offering an American citizen," says Seda.

The group is using some controversial tactics to get people fired up, hoping to get some lawmakers' attention by encouraging voters to boot them out of office if they don't change their stand on immigration.

Immigration Reform Group Targets Employers

posted 6:34 pm Mon March 10, 2008

Columbia from ABC News 4

A push to punish businesses for hiring illegal immigrants. Both the house and the senate passed bills on immigration reform. The senate bill requires employee verification for both public and private employers. The house bill deal with just public employers but encourages private businesses to follow suit. The senate bill allows local communities to decide their own penalties for hiring illegals whereas the house bill falls under state rules.



One group held a rally in Columbia and asked for a bill that would pull the business license of any employer who knowingly hires illegals. On the steps of the statehouse, an organization known as Americans have had enough stated their case for strict immigration reform. Setting its sights on employers who willing hires illegal.



“It’s a shame what they are doing to our country by bringing in cheap labor, these illegal people who also have a huge criminal element,â€