According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), lawmakers in 44 states introduced 1,106 pieces of immigration-related legislation between January 1 and March 31 of 2008. Click here for NCSL’s full study.

Number of Enacted Bills Addressing Each Issue

• Education: 74 bills in 22 states
• Employment: 179 bills in 31 states
• Health: 63 bills in 22 states
• Human Trafficking: 24 bills in 14 states
• Identification: 192 bills in 35 states
• Law Enforcement: 198 bills in 35 states
• Legal Services: 18 bills in 10 states
• Miscellaneous: 104 bills in 31 states
• Multi-issue measures: 41 bills in 16 states
• Public Benefits: 67 bills in 25 states
• Voting: 38 bills in 14 states
• Resolutions: 122 measures in 28 states

Here are just a few examples of immigration reduction-oriented measures that were enacted so far by state legislatures:

• In South Carolina, H. 4400 requires employers to verify a worker's employment eligibility using the E-Verify system or a South Carolina driver's license; prohibits sanctuary policies; authorizes state police to sign up for the Federal Section 287(g) training and enforcement program; requires jails to check the immigration status of prisoners; and allows local governments to pass stricter laws.. The bill, which was signed into law on June 4, phases in the verification mandate, and includes penalties for non-compliance. Employers of 500 or more employees must comply by January 2009, while other employers have until July 2010.
• In Mississippi, SB 2988 requires employers to verify a worker’s employment eligibility using E-Verify. Penalties for noncompliance include loss of public contracts for up to three years, loss of licenses for up to one year, or both. State agencies and employers with at least 250 employees must comply by July 1, 2008; employers with 100-249 employees by July 1, 2009; employers with 30-99 employees July 1, 2010; and all employers by July 1, 2011. Signed into law on March 17.
• In Idaho, HB 366 prohibits the issuance of a driver’s license to illegal aliens, and requires that licenses for non-citizens and permanent legal residents expire on the same date as the end of lawful stay. Signed into law on March 5.
• In Georgia, SB 350 would impose stiffer fines and even jail time on Georgia residents – including illegal aliens - caught driving without ever having obtained a Georgia driver’s license.

Unfortunately, in 2008 and in years previous, several ill-informed state legislatures have taken up legislation that provides benefits to illegal aliens. One such example is AB 2083, which requires segments of the California university system to provide financial aid – including grants, scholarships, work-study offers, and loans – to illegal aliens that already qualify for in-tuition. The bill passed the state Assembly and is under consideration in the Senate.