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Federal Court Says Local Governments Can Penalize Those Hiring Illegal Immigrants
June 15, 2009
The U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that local governments can suspend the business permits of companies that hire illegal immigrants.
The appeals court panel ruled in a case involving Valley Park, Missouri.
Nebraska is within the 8th Circuit, so the ruling by the three-judge panel applies in the state. The Legislature enacted a statute this year which requires state and local governments, and employers who have contracts with state or local governments, to use the Internet-based federal E-verify system. It provides penalties for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.
1 Comment
July 5, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Under our federalist system, the ruling of the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ONLY applies to states within the jurisdiction of the 8th Circuit. These states are:
Iowa, Arkansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota
Illinois falls within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit (along with Wisconsin and Indiana).
Until the 7th Circuit states that local governments can suspend the business permits of companies that hire illegal immigrants governments within Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana have no Constitutional protection to do so.