Several States Taking up Arizona-like Enforcement Legislation

Last week, Pennsylvania Rep. Daryl Metcalfe introduced a bill similar to Arizona’s recently passed immigration enforcement bill, SB 1070. Several more states are looking to introduce, or already have introduced, similar legislation as well.

In South Carolina, Rep. Eric Bedingfield has already introduced legislation that would make it a crime to be in the state illegally and for someone to impede traffic while picking up or hiring illegal workers. South Carolina already has one of the toughest E-Verify laws at the state level in place, requiring all businesses, private and public, to check new hires through the employment verification system.

Oklahoma Rep. Randy Terrill is also working on a bill that goes even farther than the Arizona bill. Oklahoma also has a mandatory E-Verify bill on the books, requiring public employers and contractors to use E-Verify. The state has also passed an in-state tuition bill preventing illegal aliens from receiving the in-state rate at public colleges and universities, but illegal aliens can appeal to the state’s Board of Regents.

Minnesota, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas, Missouri, Nebraska and Idaho all have state legislators that have expressed interest in introducing immigration enforcement legislation.

For more information, see the Washington Times.