Published: 03.16.2007
State bill would punish hiring of illegal immigrants
The Associated Press

PHOENIX - The Arizona House approved a proposal Thursday that would prohibit employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants and require businesses to sign affidavits saying they aren't breaking such a rule.
The proposal also would require state and local governments to use a federal database to verify whether their new employees are eligible to work in the United States.
But lawmakers rejected an attempt to make all employers in the state verify the eligibility of workers through the database.
The bill, approved in a 46-13 vote, now moves to the Senate.
Republican Rep. Russell Pearce of Mesa, the driving force behind the proposal, said the bill was needed to protect honest employees from competitors who use cheaper illegal labor.
While federal law already prohibits employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants, state lawmakers said federal agents have done a poor job of enforcing that law.
Businesses that hire illegal immigrants are blamed for encouraging people to sneak across the border. The Pew Hispanic Center has estimated that illegal immigrants account for 1 in 10 workers in Arizona.
Under the bill, employers who provide false information on the affidavits would be guilty of a felony punishable by up to a year in prison, face fines ranging from $2,500 to $50,000 and could have their business licenses suspended.
Three-time violators would face up to 18 months in prison, fines ranging from $10,000 to $150,000 and a mandatory business license revocation.
The proposal would provide $3.2 million for enforcement of such new rules.
A wide-ranging immigration bill that included employer sanctions was vetoed last year by Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano.
Democratic Rep. Steve Gallardo of Phoenix, who voted against the measure, said the fines would severely harm small businesses.
"We do not want to kill businesses," Gallardo said. "We want to hold them accountable."
The bill would give a measure of legal protection to employers who can prove they verified the eligibility of their workers through the database.
Prospective government contractors also would have to check the eligibility of workers through the database before they could win contracts.

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