Haley: Obama shut down SC illegal immigration enforcement

COLUMBIA — Gov. Nikki Haley said today that two dozen of South Carolina's illegal immigration enforcement agents were blocked by the Obama administration from enforcing the state's law.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, part of President Barack Obama's Cabinet, told the state it could not use E-Verify documentation to enforce South Carolina's immigration law. But Thursday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a similar law in Arizona upheld a state's right to rely the online system that uses Social Security numbers to screens new workers to see if they are legally in the country.

Haley said Obama is getting in her way of governing the state and protecting the citizens and businesses that call South Carolina home.

"South Carolina has had to fight this administration on multiple issues," she said. "We are fighting them on health care. We are fighting them on being able to create jobs. It is absolutely ludicrous that we are now fighting the fact that we can't even enforce our own illegal immigration laws."

The Homeland Security Department has not immediately responded to a request for comment.

South Carolina passed an anti-illegal immigration law in 2008 that allows the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation to fine and shut down businesses that hire illegal immigrations. South Carolina employers can use E-Verify, a South Carolina driver's license, an ID card, or the documents needed to obtain one, to confirm a person is lawfully in the state. Licenses from other states with the same eligibility requirements are also acceptable. More than 200,000 businesses use E-Verify. The U.S. Supreme Court found E-Verify to the best and most efficient way for employers to verify an individual's work eligibility.

Haley said she needs an answer from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, because to continue enforcing the 2008 without clarity puts the businesses at risk of a lawsuit. Businesses sign an agreement with Homeland Security when they enroll to use the database that says they won't share the information.

Haley said she would continue to be a "thorn" in Obama's side and call Napolitano daily until they give the state an answer. Haley and her administration have been seeking an answer from Homeland Security since February. At this point, Haley said Napolitano has "refused" to discuss the issue with her. Haley sent Napolitano a letter today.

As part of the state's anti-illegal immigration enforcement efforts, the Labor, Licensing and Regulation Department has audited more than 6,000 businesses and identified 2,206 violations.

The agency's director Catherine Templeton, former Charleston labor attorney, said the state is not accessing any sensitive information from the E-Verify checks. The employers provide enforcement agents with a summary sheet. She put a halt on new investigations in late April, after a series of back and forth communications with Homeland Security officials. That put the 24 or so illegal immigration enforcement agents at a standstill, Templeton said.

"I cannot and will not send them out and have employers violate the law or have them do something unconstitutional," she said.

Meanwhile, the Legislature is putting the final touches on another bill that would require state and local law enforcement to check a person's immigration status during arrests and routine traffic stops if an officer suspects that person is in the country illegally. Haley is expected to sign the bill into law in the coming weeks.

Read more in Saturday's editions of The Post and Courier.