States get tough on immigration

Many state governments continue to push for the use of the feds’ new E-Verify system.
The latest state to pass a law requiring employers to use E-Verify is South Carolina. The new law requires all companies in the state to participate in the program and use the system to verify new hire eligibility, or only hire employees with valid driver’s licenses or state ID cards.
Employers with 100 or more employees must comply with the law by July 1, 2009. Other companies have until July 1, 2010.
The law also imposes stricter penalties on employers that hire unauthorized workers, ranging from a $100-$1,000 fine to permanent revocation of the license to employ workers in South Carolina.
The state joins others, such as Missouri, Arizona and Mississippi, that require all companies to use E-Verify.