6/29/07 - Lt Governor Cagle: New Immigration Law Draws Line in the Sand

Georgia's New Immigration Law Takes Effect on July 1

(Atlanta, GA) – This Sunday, Georgia’s new immigration law, S.B. 529 will take effect and will eventually require all businesses doing government work to verify the legal status of employees.

“We are drawing a line in the sand that says while we want to welcome immigrants to our state, we expect our laws to be respected and we are going to stop those who take advantage of our system. It is critical to our state that businesses are not participating in the hiring of illegal workers and this law sets out specific mandates for employers that are reasonable and fair.

“It is abundantly clear that this issue is a priority to many Georgians and I am pleased that our state has stepped up to the plate to address this issue and we will continue to do so,” Cagle concluded.

Senate Bill 529 will immediately affect all governments, agencies and government contractors who have 500 or more employees by requiring them toverify newly hired employees' eligibility to work in the U.S. Eventually, all businesses doing government work must verify the legal status of employees.

In addition the law will:

- Crack down on human trafficking

- Stop employer tax deductions for undocumented workers

- Require verification of legal status for those applying for state and local benefits

Those interested in compliance information regarding the employee verification process can click on the following link:

http://www.dol.state.ga.us/spotlight/sp_sb_529_new_rules.htm

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