HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE MOVES ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BILL

States News Service
May 13, 2011
COLUMBIA, SC

The following information was released by the South Carolina House of Representatives, the Republican Caucus:

A House Judiciary subcommittee approved changes to South Carolina's illegal immigration law, requiring law enforcement inside our state to discern an immigrant's legal status.

The first part of the bill approved Thursday states that if a South Carolina law enforcement officer has reasonable suspicion that a person stopped, detained, or arrested is an illegal immigrant, the officer or his agency must verify the person's residency.

The bill also makes it illegal for an illegal immigrant to ask for any work or attempt to ask for any work.

"The idea is to put teeth into the law so we can better enforce the overhaul we approved in 2008.

This bill help the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation more effectively penalize businesses that are violating the law," said Rep. Derham Cole, R-Spartanburg.

"The House Republicans want to create a welcoming environment for immigrants who obey the law while appropriately penalizing those who have broken our nation's immigration laws."

The bill builds off of the historic illegal immigration act passed by the House in 2008 that, at the time, was the strongest bill of its kind in the United States.

Since that bill passed, the number of illegal immigrants has declined by 21.4 percent, according to a 2011 study by the Pew Research Center.

"The illegal immigration bill is the last major piece of our agenda," said House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham.

"If these immigrants are in our country illegally, and breaking federal law, there is no reason why our state law enforcement should not quickly determine that and take action."

The illegal immigration bill will now advance to the full House Judiciary Committee. A hearing is expected next week, but has not yet been scheduled.

The illegal immigration bill is the final item on the House Republican Caucus' agenda for 2011-2012.

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