Immigration Law
Posted by segacor on January 15, 2008
Many states have created or are creating new laws which impact businesses that hire illigal immigrants. Here’s an excerpt of what Arizona state rep. Russell Pearce had to say on the issue…
January 1, ends ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ illegal hiring practices, increases penalties for identity theft, mandates all Arizona employers use the free and successful federal Basic Pilot Program that checks social security numbers and visa information of new employees over the internet.
Myth: Sanctions against employers for employing unauthorized aliens is a federal and not a state issue. Fact: The federal law governing employer sanctions for knowingly employing unauthorized aliens specifically allows States to sanction this illegal activity through ‘licensing and similar laws.’
Myth: Employers don’t know what it means to ‘knowingly or intentionally employ an unauthorized alien’. Fact: The ‘knowingly’ standard is federal law passed in 1986 and explained in detail through federal regulation and court cases ever since. The ‘intentionally’ standard, which is the tougher standard for county attorneys to prove, is based on long-standing Arizona criminal code definition. If you comply with federal law, you won’t violate the intentionally or knowingly standard.
Bottom Line Professional Employment Organizations (PEOs) stay on top of ever-changing state and federal employment legislation so that their clients don’t have to.
