Maryland county taking steps to prevent contractors from hiring illegal aliens
On Dec. 15, Frederick County Commissioners will consider whether to adopt new purchasing regulations. Those regulations would include requiring major construction contractors to certify that they and their subcontractors are not knowingly employing illegal aliens.
SOURCE : Frederick News Post
Frederick County aims to stop contractors from hiring illegal immigrants for labor
By Meg Tully, December 3, 2009
Frederick County is taking steps to prevent contractors from hiring illegal immigrant workers.
On Dec. 15, Frederick County Commissioners will consider whether to adopt new purchasing regulations. Those regulations would include requiring major construction contractors to certify that they and their subcontractors are not knowingly employing illegal aliens.
In February, commissioners are also expected to review a proposal to require those contractors use the federal e-verify system, an Internet-based program designed to verify legal status of workers under federal contract.
“It is the law that no one is supposed to be hiring people who are undocumented,” Commissioners President Jan Gardner said. “I don’t know how the county commissioners could not support the law.”
Frederick County’s proposed purchasing regulations apply to construction contracts of more than $30,000. County Purchasing Director Hal Good estimates the county issues less than 100 such contracts a year.
Each firm that bids on the contracts would have to certify it is not employing illegal immigrants, and since each project gets 10 to 20 bids, it could affect a number of firms.
The county could terminate contracts with companies that knowingly hire illegal immigrants. No penalties would be imposed. Commissioners had originally considered a $1,000 fine for each illegal immigrant under employ, but county attorneys said that money could not be legally charged.
Both initiatives result from concerns raised by Republican Commissioner Charles Jenkins, who has spoken out about the costs of illegal immigration.
“This is an effort to do something about employers who may be willing to hire folks who shouldn’t be hired,” Jenkins said.
At the national level, Republicans have been criticized for pushing to end illegal immigration, while turning a blind eye to businesses that employ illegal workers, Jenkins said.
“Well, I’m a Republican, and I’m not turning a blind eye to it,” he said. “If someone’s going to be involved in county business, they’re not going to be hiring on the cheap (and harming) Americans who are going to be displaced because of their actions.”
Although the purchasing guidelines will likely be applied first, it will be difficult for the county to prove someone knowingly hired an illegal immigrants. The e-verify requirement that could follow in February would be an easier way to enforce the concept, according to county attorney Richard McCain.
The e-verify system may be used voluntarily by any employer in the country without charge. In Maryland, Anne Arundel County requires that any vendor follow applicable laws for the employment of immigrants, and suggests e-verify as a way to do so.
Nationally, more than 169,000 employers are enrolled in the e-verify program, and more than 1.6 million queries had been run through the system in fiscal 2010, as of Nov. 14, the e-verify website states. The e-verify system is operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in partnership with the Social Security Administration.
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If these laws were actually enforced and these entities who are hiring illegals who do not have work visas or proper authorization were heavily fined and/or taxed the deficit problem wouldn’t be as big. The hiring of illegals is a huge problem that doesn’t seem to be being property address or enforced.