Is South Carolina the Next State to Introduce Immigration Enforcement Laws?
Oct 08, 2010: Lawmakers in South Carolina are currently
investigating potential reforms to their state's immigration
laws. Earlier this week, a congressional judicial subcommittee
listened to testimonies at a public hearing. In that hearing,
Senator Glenn McConnell, who lead the meeting, commented that the
federal government has not adequately enforced immigration laws and
that it is now the states' responsibilities to do so.
"We are determined to do what is necessary to keep people safe
in their homes and on the streets of South Carolina.... This law
has got to be enforced or this country is going to be
overrun," McConnell said in an interview with a local news
station.
The state's legislature will reconvene early next year and
signs lead to it taking up this issue at that time. At the same
time, state management of immigration legislation is being taken up
by the Supreme Court, which, in November, will review Arizona's
recent legislation that requires companies to use the federal
E-Verify program to confirm the employment eligibility of new
employees.
ICE Presents Record-Breaking Immigration Enforcement Statistics for FY 2010.
Oct 07, 2010: Earlier this week, Janet Napolitano, Secretary of
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and John Morton,
Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),
released immigration enforcement statistics that have been achieved
under the Obama administration. In their report, the two directors
state that the Obama administration has imposed approximately $50
million in fines/sanctions for worksite enforcement violations.
Secretary Napolitano also stressed that the Obama administration
would continue to enforce immigration laws to employers through I-9
audits, fines, debarments and other enforcement strategies.
"This administration has focused on enforcing our immigration
laws in a smart, effective manner that prioritizes public safety
and national security and holds employers accountable who knowingly
and repeatedly break the law," said Secretary Napolitano.
"Our approach has yielded historic results, removing more
convicted criminal aliens than ever before and issuing more
financial sanctions on employers who knowingly and repeatedly
violate immigration law than during the entire previous
administration."
Key statistics presented include the following:
1) 180 owners, employers, managers and/or supervisors were
criminally charged by ICE in FY 2010
2) ICE conducted over 2,200 I-9 audits in FY 2010
3) 97 businesses and 49 people were debarred by ICE in FY 2010
.
Supreme Court to Hear Case about Arizona E-Verify Law.
Oct 06, 2010: Later this year, the Supreme Court will hear a
case related to an Arizona law that requires the use of E-Verify,
the federal online employment eligibility verification system. The
case, which will be held December 8, should clarify whether states
have the right to mandate the use of such a program. Opponents of
the Arizona law claim it infringes on the rights of individuals,
while supporters of the law state that the state has the right to
monitor and remove business licenses, because it is the entity that
provides those licenses.
It is believed that the decision from the Supreme Court will hold
weight in more than just the Arizona law that requires the use of
E-Verify. It could also provide guidance for states seeking to
implement other laws related to immigration enforcement.
Local Communities May Not Be Able to Opt Out of the Secure Communities Program.
Oct 01, 2010: Recent communication from Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) implies that local communities, even those that
chose to opt out, may be required to participate in the Secure
Communities program. The program, which enables ICE to use
fingerprints collected by state and local law enforcement officials
as a means to identify illegal immigrants, is considered by many
local law officials to be a detriment to their ability to provide
adequate police services to their communities.
Secure Communities was widely considered to be optional and many
local communities, including the District of Columbia, San
Francisco and Santa Clara County (CA), had chosen to opt out of
participation in the program. However, a senior ICE official
recently commented that ICE will have access to fingerprints
forwarded to FBI from state and local law enforcement officials,
regardless of local communities' wishes to not participate in
the program.
DHS Testing the Use of Eye Scanners in Texas.
Sep 29, 2010: The Department of Homeland Security has begun
testing eye-reading machines at one border crossing. The machines,
which scan people's irises, is being tested in a two- to
eight-week trial in McAllen, Texas as part of a Homeland Security
assessment of the new technology. The goal of the testing is to see
how the scanners work in an actual Customs and Border protection
setting.
"This is a preliminary test of how the technology
performs," said Amy Kudwa, a spokesperson for the Department
of Homeland Security. "We have no specific plans for acquiring
or deploying this type of technology at this point."
The U.S. Department of Defense currently uses similar scanners at
military locations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The newer versions of
these eye-reading devices, however, are able to identify multiple
people at one time from a distance of up to 30 feet.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.