Companies that employ illegal immigrants would be denied
contracts with Carroll County under a resolution introduced Thursday.
“Failure to comply with all pertinent employment immigration laws shall constitute a material breach of contract and subject the vendor to termination of his/her contractual relationship with the county,” the resolution reads.
The resolution comes after Commissioner Michael Zimmer?s October proposal to ban adult illegal immigrants from the county by requiring proof of legal residence before receiving county services. The county did not act on that proposal.
But the employment resolution seemed to gain more support.
“We need to do something to show our intent to follow the law,” Commissioner Dean Minnich said.
Commissioner Julia Gouge, however, has said that enforcement of illegal-immigration laws should be left to the federal government. She questioned how the county could legally investigate companies? hiring practices.
One way, Zimmer said, is to rely on competing businesses to turn in companies that hire illegals.
“There?s obvious incentives for business competitors to keep an eye out,” Zimmer said.
Illegal immigrants risk their lives entering the United States in search of better jobs and opportunities, said Elena Hartley, director of United Hands of Carroll County, a nonprofit that helps immigrants.
“I know people come here from countries that are very poor, and the only reason they come here is they are looking for the opportunity to work and send money to their family,” Hartley said.
But at the same time, she said she understood that the government needs to uphold the law.
The resolution, which the county attorney wrote at the commissioners? request, is designed to copy an executive order that Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold issued last August.
It is too early too tell how it is faring in Anne Arundel, said Marina Cooper, Leopold?s spokeswoman.
