Commission Should Protect Gwinnett`s Legal Workers

Written by Bob Griggs

Georgia has one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in the nation, according to recent studies. The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that a majority of the state’s one million immigrants are here illegally. The number of immigrant households that rely on at least one major welfare program is nearly double that of native households, at 33%.

Illegal immigration costs cities, counties and the state government an estimated $1.6 billion annually. Georgia spends that amount each year to provide three basic services to illegal aliens and their dependents -- K-12 education, public health care, and incarceration of criminals. These costs amount to a $523-a-year burden for every Georgia household headed by a native-born American.

County leaders know too well how much illegal immigration can cost the taxpayers of Gwinnett. Last year, the County Commission committed millions to the 287(g) program. You could ask the school system how much it spends annually to serve the children of illegal aliens; or ask the hospital how much it spends to provide free healthcare. The provision of public services to illegal immigrants constitutes a significant drain on public resources; and when I say “resources,” you know that I mean the taxpayer.

For many years, federal law has given local government the authority, through regulation, to lessen the impact of illegal immigration on its communities, but it took the “Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act,” passed in 2007, to mandate that cities and counties ensure that most public benefits are available only to legal residents.

Compliance with the new law was slow in coming. It took 15 months for Gwinnett County to take its first faltering steps toward enforcement. Even today, most Gwinnett cities have yet to comply with major provisions of the law. Chairman Charles Bannister has claimed to be committed to aggressive enforcement; however, he has failed to take advantage of all of the resources and authority available to him. In today's economic climate when so many legal Gwinnett residents have lost their jobs, it is unconscionable and inexcusable that Bannister would not take aggressive and immediate steps to minimize the financial impact on our county.

Effective, local immigration enforcement doesn't have to be difficult nor costly.  The implementation of a simple requirement to receive or renew a business license would be the most effective action that the Commission could take to reduce the number of illegal aliens in the county.

Illegal aliens come to Gwinnett County primarily for employment. But if there were no jobs for illegal aliens, there would be no arrests and no reason for the costly 287(g) program. There would be no children of illegal immigrants in our schools, and the resulting costs. There would be no illegal immigrants seeking attention for minor health needs in our county’s emergency rooms.

The County Commission should immediately require that applicants for a business license or renewal of same certify that they have enrolled in the federal E-Verify program for the verification of their employee’s work eligibility. Once enrolled in the program, employers are required to verify all of their new hires through the program and there are stiff federal penalties for employing an illegal worker.

The cost to the county would be negligible. Licenses would be denied to employers who did not participate in E-Verify and could be revoked for employers who were found to have abandoned their verification program. Enforcement of the employer’s agreement to participate in the free E-Verify program is handled by the federal government.

A growing number of local and state governments across the nation have adopted this requirement. The state of Arizona, which has a state business license, now requires employers to enroll in E-Verify. The Arizona law was tested in court at several levels and has survived the challenges. Evidence shows that the law had an immediate and continuing impact on the number of illegal aliens residing in that state, while adding minimal additional burden on the employer.

In September 2009, the federal government began requiring all federal contractors and sub-contractors to verify not only their new hires and employees working on the federal contract but, optionally, their entire workforce.

By simply requiring Gwinnett employers to verify the employment eligibility of their new hires, the Commission can eliminate the attraction for illegal aliens, preserving jobs for legal workers and reducing the cost of government.

[First published 9/19/09]