Alan Powell

Lawmakers gave final approval to legislation intended to crack down on illegal immigration in Georgia. If signed into law by Gov. Deal, HB 87 would require all businesses with more than 10 employees to use the federal government’s E-Verify system to determine the work eligibility of all new hires. Similar to an Arizona law enacted last year, local and state police would be empowered to detain people while their immigration status is checked. The bill would also increase the penalty for using fake identification to get a job to 15 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. People who, while committing another offense, knowingly transport, harbor or encourage illegal immigrants to come to Georgia could face 12 months in prison and a $1,000 fine. Supporters said the measure is necessary for the state to deal with a growing population of illegal immigrants that is overburdening schools, hospitals and other public services. Many of these provisions will prove to be challenging to enforce but we must reinforce the fact that we are a nation of laws, and the negligence of the federal government to enforce its laws has expanded the problems.