Federal judge won’t block employer sanctions
And why should he?
A federal judge cited benefits for legal workers and little harm for law-abiding employers as he refused to block the Jan. 1 implementation of Arizona’s groundbreaking new law to penalize businesses that knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
U.S. District Judge Neil Wake denied requests for a temporary restraining order or an emergency injunction to block the sanctions law passed by the Arizona Legislature as a response to the influx of illegal immigrants into the state…
Those who would suffer the most from suspending the law would be legal low-skill workers who lose jobs and get depressed wages due to competition from illegal immigrants, according to Wake. “Even if the injunction is lifted later, their loss will never be paid back,” he said…
Under the law, employers who knowingly hire unauthorized workers can face suspensions of their business licenses for up to 10 days. Repeat violators would have their licenses revoked.
It also mandates that employers use a federal computer system to check Social Security numbers of new hires. Use of that system provides employers with a partial legal shield if it turns out that a worker who clears the check is later determined to be unauthorized.
I think we all know that state laws wouldn’t be proposed if the Feds enforced the laws already on the books.
Posted: Thu - December 27, 2007 at 02:50 PM