“States are trying various ways to get around a 1986 federal immigration law that forbids states from punishing businesses directly – with either fines or jail time for owners – for hiring illegal workers.
Starting in January, for example, Arizona companies caught twice knowingly hiring illegal immigrants will lose their business licenses.
The Arizona Employers for Immigration Reform attacked the law in federal court on July 13. The employers say the state is trying to usurp federal powers while leaving companies no way to defend themselves if they're accused of hiring illegal workers.
But Arizona is one of a vanguard group of states – including Colorado, Georgia and Oklahoma – requiring certain employers to check on the legal status of its workers. The other three require state contractors to confirm their workers are legal. Idaho and North Carolina also verify the status of state government workers.
The states required affected employers to verify their new hires with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which operates a Web-based program to check out employees.
But Oklahoma didn't stop there. It also enacted other provisions to give employers even more incentive to make sure their workers are legal.
The Sooner State is giving American citizens fired from a job the right to sue their former employer if an illegal immigrant works for the company. The law applies to all companies in Oklahoma, not just those with government contracts.”
State immigration laws face legal doubts
We will see where this takes us but it is not real promising except temporally unless the 1986 federal immigration law can be overturned.
Maybe it's time for a little civil disobedience…
