States Enact Own Laws Restricting Immigrants

Cadrain, Diane, HRMagazine

Riding a wave of public anxiety over illegal immigration and tired of waiting while Congress founders, state lawmakers are enacting their own laws to make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to live and work in the United States and for businesses to employ them.

Already this year, states have enacted at least 44 bills concerning illegal immigrants, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Many of them focus on public benefits and services for non-U.S. citizens, but some--recognizing that jobs are the lure for immigrants--zero in on employment. Georgia, Colorado, Louisiana and Pennsylvania have enacted laws setting sanctions for employing people who are not authorized to work in the country, and Tennessee might not be far behind.

"Washington isn't showing any leadership, and conditions on the ground are so dire, state lawmakers can't wait," said John Keeley, director of communications for the Center for Immigration Studies. "The cost of education, health care and criminal justice enforcement …

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Publication information: Article title: States Enact Own Laws Restricting Immigrants. Contributors: Cadrain, Diane - Author. Magazine title: HRMagazine. Volume: 51. Issue: 8 Publication date: August 2006. Page number: 27+. © 1999 Society for Human Resource Management. COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group.

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