Immigration Databases

The Tennessee senate just passed a proposal to require all new employees to have documented immigration status. In a 27-2 vote, the bill would require check only for jobs that require a W-2 form.

Employers would need to look up their new employee on an electronic database provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Accessing the database would not cost the business anything. The Senate knocked out the provision that would fine the employers $1000 for companies who violate the requirement. They decided that they did not want to criminalize the employers, since it was already illegal to hire workers who were not in the country legally. The law would only last after 18 months if it is not renewed.

The bill will be heard by the House Government Operations Committee next week. Senator Jack Johnson, the man proponent for this bill hopes that the bill would directly attack the causes of illegal immigration. Employers could no longer claim that they were not aware of falsified documents since now they would need to double check it on the online database. Opponents of the bill fear that the bill places burden on the small businesses. Senator Douglas Henry felt that the state government shouldn’t make matters worse by adding to the federal government’s immigration efforts.

My guess is that the Tennessee bill would not be renewed in the next vote because there are just too many obstacles. Also, without any other immigration retrictive legislatives reforcing anti-abortion sentiments, it is possible that support would just fizzle. There has not been any word of the the immigration bill that was being discussed a couple of weeks ago. It is very likely that this legislation would not be voted up unless some major adjustments are made to suffice the liberal vote.