You may have learned about a job site being protested by angry brick masons, electricians, and other contractors. They have a jusified accusation that all of the workers on the City’s fire station construction on Simpson Road are not legal. ICE inspectors have verified the workers legality, yet one must remember that ICE is only required to verify the infamous i9 form. We all know the i9 isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.
Constituents are asking what can the state do. Well, the law we passed last year requires all new hires to be e-verified, yet the law doesn’t affect all employers until January of 2010. If this situation were to occur after the law’s implementation, LLR would have the authority to inspect the job site. Some local governments, like the City of Clemson, have enacted requirements for e-verify on public projects, but to my knowledge, Anderson City nor County has not. I’m told the County Council may consider doing this soon.
Another problem we now face is the expiration of the e-verify. E-verify is a volunteer system used to identify a workers status maintained by the Federal Government. If the Feds don’t renew e-verify, we’ll be forced to figure out an employment certification process in South Carolina. Here’s some info on SC’s plans to implement the legislation.
Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina
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