State's Labor Dept. checking for illegal immigrants
COLUMBIA - Major businesses in South Carolina are being audited by the state's labor agency to determine if they are hiring illegal immigrants.
The State reported Wednesday that the Labor, Licensing and Regulation Department planned to start Wednesday by focusing on businesses that typically hire immigrant workers. Agency spokesman Jim Knight says that construction and landscaping firms will be on the list for audits.
The law applies to companies with 100 or more employees and those that do business with state and local governments.
Knight says the agency has hired 10 investigators to follow complaints against businesses and conduct the reviews.
A new provision in state law that took effect Wednesday requires businesses with 100 or more employees to check the workers' legal status through a federal database.
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1963 (anonymous) says...
Why not 10 or more employees? It is also the small contractor that goes to Stall and Ashley Phosphate roads everyday to pick up anyone to work. I know one that told me he uses them.
July 1, 2009 at 10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mb300sl (anonymous) says...
It's about time...round them all up and deport them! Punish the offending companies severely!
July 1, 2009 at 10:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Charleston_21 (anonymous) says...
Nothing will happen...
July 1, 2009 at 10:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pirate42 (anonymous) says...
LOL so funny while there here taking advantage of our welfare program taking up all our section 8 housing, getting free medical care. and so on so on, I have no problem anyone being here legal but darn it do it LEGALE........... no more of this my child was born in this country crap too... parents illegale kids are too. no matter where they were HATCHED...
July 1, 2009 at 10:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
R_U_Kidding_Me (anonymous) says...
It's a start. If they can get the beaurocratic procedures to work for businesses of 100+ employees then they can start on the smaller employers. 10 Investigators is a small group to take on this task but, again, it's a start.
July 1, 2009 at 10:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
cu_sc (anonymous) says...
just hang out at any Wal-Mart and ask for proof of citizenship.
July 1, 2009 at 11:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SCHoser (anonymous) says...
Hope they deport the illegals and fine the businesses. It's a start.
July 1, 2009 at 11:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rgsno (anonymous) says...
Illeagal's provide cheap labor for things that most american's don't want to do. Leave them alone, quit waisting our tax dollars on this. When they ask for welfare ask for proof of citizenship at that time. Hospitals can ask for payment before procedures are done and then refuse service if they can't pay, but I forgot Obamah is going to save us all.
July 1, 2009 at 11:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Hooch (anonymous) says...
rgsno unfortunately hospitals cannot require upfront payment in the emergency rooms. The illegal invader prblem has gotten out of hand. Their children are in American schools paid for by tax payer dollars. Their kids require more time thus taking away time from American children. They are not just doing jobs that Americans dont want to do anymore. That may have been the case years ago but no longer. Contractors use this cheap labor but does the cost of the product go down??? No! They use this to pad their profit base. I welcome the Latin Immigrants but I want them to do it the right way. Apply for worker status and if they truly want to live their lives here become a citizen. I am tired of having to push #1 for English everytime I call a government office.
July 1, 2009 at 11:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Clemsurf (anonymous) says...
Just go to your local Walmart and scream "INS, INS!" Watch the ones who scatter and pick them up.
July 1, 2009 at 12:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dadshome2 (anonymous) says...
Here are some facts that may be interesting for anyone reading this article. The discussion point that "illegal's are only here doing the jobs that most Americans won't do has a couple of serious flaws to the logic that created that point in the first place. Follow the bouncing ball from point to point.
1a. "A 1997 study by the American Academy of Sciences, (not exactly a conservative organization btw.), found that the cheap labor of illegal immigrants and poor immigrants caused a 44% decrease in wages among the poorest Americans from 1980 to 1994."
1b. "A study in the 1990s by Social Science Quarterly, (also not exactly a conservative minded organization), found that for each 1 percent increase in the proportion of immigrant workers without a high school education in any job category, wages for Americans performing that work fell 7 percent.
2. Illegal aliens are poor not because of their legal status but because of their lack of education and consequent inability to earn better wages. For the past quarter century, real wages for American workers without a high school education have declined 22 percent. The decline among those with a high school education but no higher education was 11 percent.
From the results of these studies, it would not be a leap of logic to conclude that the social economical group most affected would be the working poor here in the US. I do not want to make this a racial charged discussion, but the historic facts say that the poorest Americans would include those individuals of Native American and African American backgrounds. It has also been pointed out a number of times that one of the worst states in regards to relative education levels happens to be South Carolina. (end part 1)
July 1, 2009 at 1:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dadshome2 (anonymous) says...
(part 2)
Let's look a bit deeper if you don't mind.
3. Based on March 2008 data collected by the Census Bureau, the Center (Pew Research Center) estimates that unauthorized immigrants are 4% of the nation's population and account for 5.4% of its workforce.
3a. The Pew Hispanic Center reported in October 2008 that the illegal population stood at 11.9 million
(http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report...).
3b. An earlier Pew study found that 65 percent of the illegal population is employed in the United States (http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report...). The estimate that 7.7 million illegal aliens held U.S. jobs in 2008 assumes the same employment rate.
Now we are getting somewhere. With current unemployment rates reaching well into double digit ranges, how can we justify the "don't look, don't ask, don't tell" policies that have become the de-facto enforcement approach to illegal immigration? If 5.4% of the workforce is currently made up of illegal aliens and we have unemployment at 11 % (plus) it's time to look out for our own citizens first.
It's time to create an environment that is so legally uncomfortable for business to hire illegal aliens and for illegal aliens to apply for a job that it forces everyone to work and play on a level playing field. Then, and only then, will the poor and under educated citizens of the USA have a chance to stabilize their family life, living conditions and social economic status and standing in society.
The continued practice of hiring illegal aliens amounts to nothing less than indentured servitude in the 21st century, of those illegal aliens that are hired and of the citizens that are displaced. Allowing the practice to continue or suggesting that a "path to citizenship" is the answer should be called for what it is : the endorsement of modern day slavery.
July 1, 2009 at 1:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
joshnodine (anonymous) says...
5.4% (The supposed percentage of illegals) of the workforce evade taxes, draw welfare benefits, and drain our unemployment while driving around town without insurance....
July 1, 2009 at 9:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AMAZING (anonymous) says...
Mark Sanford avoiding the topic of illegal immigration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHJohB...
July 1, 2009 at 10:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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