The Gwinnett County Commission Tuesday night voted to require companies seeking county contracts to verify that their employees are legal U-S residents. Critics had said that the new policy would be unconstitutional and usurp the regulation of immigration by the federal government. However, County commissioner Lorraine Green says the plan is a response to the federal government's inaction on immigration.
"The federal government seems to think that immigration is about picking onions in Vidalia...it's not. It's about what the illegal immigrants are doing to our communities, and that's what this is really all about. We felt this was an opportunity for us to get some compliance but yet do it in a way that wouldn't automatically generate a huge lawsuit".
The county board also voted to have auditors on occasion inspect records of companies hired to do contract work. Gwinnett’s local government contracts work from private firms, providing services for the county such as construction and food and medical care for jail inmates.
"The federal government seems to think that immigration is about picking onions in Vidalia...it's not. It's about what the illegal immigrants are doing to our communities, and that's what this is really all about. We felt this was an opportunity for us to get some compliance but yet do it in a way that wouldn't automatically generate a huge lawsuit".
The county board also voted to have auditors on occasion inspect records of companies hired to do contract work. Gwinnett’s local government contracts work from private firms, providing services for the county such as construction and food and medical care for jail inmates.
