Haley signs Arizona-like bill on immigration enforcement

Image by Flickr user Brian Auer

Update June 28: Governor Nikki Haley plans signed South Carolina's illegal immigration bill, S.20, into law yesterday at 3:30 p.m.

The swoop of Haley's pen approved an increase enforcement by:

  • Requiring every public employer to register for and participate in the federal work authorization program 
  • Requiring public employers, contractors and subcontractors to register and participate in the E-Verify program 
  • Requiring private employers who file federal employment eligibility verification documents to verify all new employees within three business days after hire
  • Requiring law enforcement to check a person's status in some circumstance with reasonable suspicion. It allows the state to move illegal immigrants to federal custody and creates an Illegal Immigration Enforcement unit in the Department of Public Safety.

Update May 25: The House voted 69-43 Tuesday to give key approval to the bill and a perfunctory vote to give the bill final approval is expected today.

The Post and Courier has the update.

Update May 18: South Carolina's House Judiciary Committee voted 15-7 yesterday to further advance the immigration enforcement bill.

The Post and Courier has the update.

Update May 13: Despite two hours of testimony from people strongly opposed to the idea, the House Judiciary Constitutional Laws Subcommittee voted 3-2 on Thursday to push the proposed immigration enforcement bill one step closer to becoming law.

The Post and Courier has the details on yesterday's decision.

First reporting: Though the chances of the bill passing during the evaporating legislative session are near zero, a South Carolina Senate subcommittee is meeting to consider a bill inspired by a similar and very controversial law in Arizona.

Language in the bill attempts to pre-empt some of the major criticisms lobbied at the Arizona bill. At the heart of the document, a sentence reads: "A reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person, unless the determination may hinder or obstruct an investigation."

The Rock Hill Herald already has done a fair amount of reporting on the bill; read that here.

You can also check out Bill 1446 and its status here.

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