A civil rights group and an immigration advocacy organization say they fear some legal immigrants may be discriminated against if the county abides by a resolution passed Monday night by the County Council.

The council passed the non-binding measure by a vote of 6-0 asking the county to develop policies that would penalize companies that have contracts with the county -- if they cannot prove their employees are legally permitted to work in the United States.

Republican Councilman Bryan McIntire was absent due to illness and did not vote.

Council Chairman John Olszewski Sr. and Councilman Ken Oliver, both Democrats, had sponsored the resolution.

"This is a direct result of the tough economic times we are facing," Olszewski told the council during a work session last week.

Olszewski said he would like to see the county use a program such as E-verify, a system implemented by the federal government to help employers determine who is legally eligible for employment inside the United States.

Ajmel Quereshi, an attorney specializing in immigration issues with the American Civil Liberties Union, said E-verify still has kinks that are yet to be worked out, and they could result in many legal immigrants being told they can't be hired because they can't prove their status.

"The E-verify system is not yet ready to be mandated or encouraged to be used by common contractors," Quereshi said, adding that a 2007 federal report showed that the program was "not up to date."

A representative of the immigration advocacy group, Casa de Maryland, Liz Alex, also attended Monday's council meeting and testified against the measure, saying E-verify isn't reliable enough to be the basis of county policy.

The resolution did have the support of some labor unions.

"The point we are trying to make is, American jobs for Americans and Baltimore County jobs for Baltimore Countians and the people of the state of Maryland," said Buddy Cefalu, president of the Mid-Atlantic States District Council of Iron Workers, during a Jan. 26 council work session.

Cefalu said local contractors are losing business to others who hire people who are not in the country legally.

"We have contractors who work their pencils very sharp, and they are unable to compete because of these illegals," Cefalu said.

The council resolution is considered completely advisory.

County Executive Jim Smith has not yet taken a position on the measure. Don Mohler, a Smith spokesman, said last week that more information on the resolution has been requested "so we can review it."

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user comments (4)

user brittanicus says...

Will the politicians that we elect ever carry out the interests of the American people? I read today on the AMERICAN PATROL website that President Obama is in a discussion to cap government money such as cutting back on NASA appropriations the sending men back to the moon in 1020? Yet we are still spending--BILLIONS--on illegal immigrants who have managed to settle here? If we cannot afford to go back to the moon, how can we afford to pay for illegal immigration? Obama can find billions to Prop-up States like Sanctuary California to pay for illegal immigrants, but he cannot find the cash to pay for space exploration. How can we allow millions of poor people to continue to cross our borders? So why are taxpayers forced by pariah lawmakers to pay for education, health care and even now anticipating BILLIONS more dollars to enact a ominous Comprehensive Immigration Reform? We all know by now, that this is a very crafty way to pass another AMNESTY. These people who have entered this country without permission? Every time a new immigration enforcement is passed, the open border Liberal-Democrats-Republicans use their influence to water the law down. How many of us know, that the controversial border fence is by law supposed to be--TWO SEPARATE--FENCES? Senator Obama voted for it. more than three years ago, but only 35 miles of double-layered fencing is in place and much of the remaining 360 miles of the border fencing is badly constructed--without real barriers. The Truth is the government is lying to us. The Secure Fence Act of 2006 (Pub.L. 109-367) was enacted October 26, 2006 in the United States. The act allows for over 700 miles (1,100 km) of double-reinforced fence to be built along the border with Mexico across cities and deserts alike, in the U.S. states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas in areas that have experienced illegal drug trafficking, human slavery, gun peddling, illegal immigration and the threat of terrorism. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California who was the originator of the double fence, has not seen this happen, nor the complete wall that is just open areas, with the old barbed wire strands. Underfunded from its inception, the border fence was compromised by the open border organization, that includes American business consortium's. As in Washington today, a team of intelligence operatives stated to Speaker Pelosi that a El Queda attack was imminent within the next 6 months. This is the time to enforce our borders with the National Guard fully armed and obviously apparent along the whole 2000 feet length. The majority of our State economies are broke--with California leading the pack. Arizona lawmakers realizing the main cause of their financial dilemma, the support of illegal workers and their families. E-Verify is one of the most successful mechanisms to remove illegal workers, but as yet it is not mandatory. It costs nothing to use it and it has been demonized by every pro-illegal immigrant group, along with corrupt politicians and their financial clients in the business consortium's. E-Verify must be national, with no exclusions. THIS SHOULD BECOME THE No.1 PRIORITY FOR EVERY SMALL AND LARGE COMPANY, THAT KNOWINGLY HIRING A FOREIGN WORKERS CARRIES PENALTIES SUCH AS HARSH FINES AND PRISON SENTENCES. THERE SHOULD BE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE? Our GOVERNMENT HAS SOLD ITSELF TO WALL STREET AND BOTH WALL STREET AND THE UNITED STATES ARE DEBTORS TO COMMUNIST CHINA. We cannot afford to subsidize every illegal family member, every Mother with a child who becomes an instant citizen, when 15 million Americans and residents are jobless, when our own people live in poverty. Yes! We always need exceptional highly skilled engineers and scientists, but not the indigent and desperate that we must endlessly financially support. Not semi-skilled labor that will take less wages, than our own people, who themselves will end up in the unemployment benefits line. Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to be connected to your Senator and Congressman and use the voting power of THE PEOPLE. Go to NUMBERSUSA AND JUDICIAL WATCH for more information about this catastrophe that could overwhelm this country in the coming months.

Posted 4:09 PM, 02.03.10

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user says...

brittanicus...you've echoed the facts and the feelings of a large segment of people in the country. However, the resolution proposed and approved by the council means absolutely nothing, and furthermore, submitting it to a 'lame duck' executive is nothing more than a political 'chess game'. Public sentiment is riding high on this issue and the attempt to show movement is nothing more than another political pander by the council. We cannot STOP, we must continue the fight... This is not a new phenomenon, and until now it seems it was a non issue to those currently seated. The right direction, but until this is a mandate, not just at a county level, but a state level, until then we will be subject to the ever increasing costs' associated with the illegals that now call Maryland and its communities home. Maryland, east of the Rockies, is the premier 'sanctuary' state, I hope that people recognize that we can see through this nonsense, and OH, it just happens to be an election year....I think the 2010 voter will decide the seriousness of this and many other issues...Today the Baltimore county budget reports a 144M dollar shortfall, it just so happens that the projected costs' of illegals in Baltimore County for the coming year is.... $194,215,920.00....http://www.helpsavemaryland.org/files/costbycounty/Baltimore.htm In the State, this projection nears 1.4 BILLION....that's with a "B"...Incumbents and the mismanagement of this and many other issues will need for find a 'sanctuary' of their own in Sept and Nov of 2010. I would be interested in the 'legal immigrants' comments, as they should be MOST angry with regards to this issue...

Posted 11:21 PM, 02.03.10

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user augieboy says...

brittanicus...you've echoed the facts and the feelings of a large segment of people in the country. However, the resolution proposed and approved by the council means absolutely nothing, and furthermore, submitting it to a 'lame duck' executive is nothing more than a political 'chess game'. Public sentiment is riding high on this issue and the attempt to show movement is nothing more than another political pander by the council. We cannot STOP, we must continue the fight... This is not a new phenomenon, and until now it seems it was a non issue to those currently seated. The right direction, but until this is a mandate, not just at a county level, but a state level, until then we will be subject to the ever increasing costs' associated with the illegals that now call Maryland and its communities home. Maryland, east of the Rockies, is the premier 'sanctuary' state, I hope that people recognize that we can see through this nonsense, and OH, it just happens to be an election year....I think the 2010 voter will decide the seriousness of this and many other issues...Today the Baltimore county budget reports a 144M dollar shortfall, it just so happens that the projected costs' of illegals in Baltimore County for the coming year is.... $194,215,920.00....http://www.helpsavemaryland.org/files/costbycounty/Baltimore.htm In the State, this projection nears 1.4 BILLION....that's with a "B"...Incumbents and the mismanagement of this and many other issues will need for find a 'sanctuary' of their own in Sept and Nov of 2010. I would be interested in the 'legal immigrants' comments, as they should be MOST angry with regards to this issue...

Posted 11:22 PM, 02.03.10

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user mdyoung216 says...

If a person doesn't verify through E-verify all they need to do is go to a Social Security office and find out if there is a correction that needs to be made on the SSN record and get it fixed. Not a big deal Probably the majority of the time that a legal working is going to have a problem that needs to be fixed is a married woman that hasn't updated the SSN record with the married name. Casa de Maryland and groups like them don't like E-verify because they know it is going to catch people that are working illegally.

Posted 10:01 PM, 02.04.10

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