Burning Atlanta

This may be another more bark than bite law but sends the right message.

Bow-wow.

The bill becomes law Jan. 1. It will require employers to use the U.S. Homeland Security electronic verification system to check whether new hires are legal residents. Employers who hire illegal immigrants could lose their business license for a year and any state contract work for up to three years.

Any illegal immigrant found working in the state could face a one-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $10,000. Should be mandatory.

Barbour said smaller businesses are not required to use the federal program until July 1, 2011. He said the new Mississippi law establishes employers' use of E-Verify as "an absolute defense against suits brought by a former employee." It's very simple. If an employer gets an ok to hire someone based on Everify and it turns out that employee is an illegal then the employer has no liability. Exactly as it should be.

Immigrants' advocates had called on Barbour to veto the bill, which they said targets Latinos. Bill Chandler, executive director of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance, said he is appalled that Barbour signed the legislation. Bullshit. I'm so sick to death of the race card. What race is an illegal alien?

"This is the grossest form of discrimination and it's the most racist legislation that's been passed since the Sovereignty Commission and the Jim Crow laws," Chandler said Monday. This is all they ever do. "Racist. Nativist extremist. Xenophobe."