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Handing a legal victory to groups pushing back against illegal immigration, the Supreme Court today upheld an Arizona law that punishes businesses in the state for hiring workers who are in the country illegally.
Federal law against illegal immigration says the states cannot penalize businesses that hire illegal workers "except through licensing."
So in 2007, Arizona passed a controversial law -- signed by then-Gov. Janet Napolitano -- that allows the state to take away the business licenses of employers that intentionally hire illegal workers. Led by the US Chamber of Commerce, several business and civil rights groups challenged the law, saying enforcement of the immigation laws is for the federal government.
The Obama administration also sued Arizona over the law. Congress, the groups said, never meant to give the states such latitude over virtually any license to do business.
But today by a 5-3 vote (with Justice Elena Kagan siting this one out), the Supreme Court upheld the Arizona law.
The state is simply imposing the punishments the federal law allows, the court said. In addition, the court pointed out, before a business can lose its license, it must intentionally and repeatedly hire illegal workers.
"Congress did not intend to preserve only state state laws that have no effect" on illegal immigration, said Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote today's opinion.
Today's ruling is a green light for other states considering laws that punish employers for hiring illegal workers. Nine states have already done so.
The court has yet to take up the far more controversial Arizona law that requires police to round up anyone they think is in the state illegally. And this ruling does not foreshadow how the Supreme Court will rule on that one, because Congress specifically opened the door to the kind of state regulation upheld today.
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Brilliant!! I love it. Hell we should fine the crap out of anyone that hires an undocumented worker. Hit the bottom line, watch businesses start to do the right thing--for once.
You take away the jobs and a lot of these problems will start to get better.
You'll simply see business relocate to other states, or out of the country. Then you'll whine about the loss of jobs. But, whining is what you Repukes do best.
And democraps like whambam just loves them some opportunity to abuse impoverished illegal immigrant employees I guess.
Both parties are guilty on this issue, and you are a moron.
Moron? That the best you got? I mean, it's really overused. Your vocabulary must be limited. (As is your thinking.)
whambam - Judging by your comments Moron is a compliment as far as you are concerned.
About time; ALL these United States should be exactly that....UNITED!!!!
Hey. Let the other states do as they like. Capital abhors a vacuum. Capital will ALWAYS flow to where it's wanted and faces the least resistance.
This is a great day for states that WANT business, not drive it away.
You surely are an enthusiastic supporter of businesses who want to pay crap wages and abuse employees. Most democrats don't agree with you. I'm guessing you're a poor, deluded tea party fan.
Democrat here,
I'm puzzled why people are arguing. It's against the law to come here illegally(as the same type of valid and reasonable laws are in effect in every other country on this planet). It's also against the law to hire illegal immigrants(rightly so). AZ authorities acted correctly as every other state should.
I'm no fan of AZ's BS racist law based on a person's racial make-up/skin color, but they did, in this case, what the whole country should have been be doing all along. Punishing companies that hire illegal aliens. Who really cares if the law is State or Federal. It should be apparent to even the most progressive of democrats that AZ has a serious problem with illegal aliens and an answer is needed. Punishing companies that hire illegal aliens should have been part of an answer long time ago.
Just one opinion(mine) out of 6.5 billion people or so.
In backwards Maryland, when Governor Dumb A$$ recently signed a bill that gives illegal children of resident illegals in-state tuition breaks, he stated, "it will provide us with a more educated workforce." This sends a loud and clear message to every illegal in the country that in Maryland it's perfectly okay to employ illegals.
About time this is upheld. The only way to stop the illegals from coming illegally is to make the jobs they get go away. The only way to make that happen is make it illegal to give them a job. Enforcement will be tough but when businesses are caught, they should be fined and their business assets auctioned off. They are breaking the law, they are evading tax laws by paying cash to the illegals and not reporting and paying their taxes.
At the same time, if there is an illegal that is involved in an automobile accident and they run from the scene, the vehicle and it's contents should become the property of the victim of the accident. My son was hit head on by a drunk illegal who was on the wrong side of the road. My son was ok, my tuck was totaled though which I had to pay for. The guy got out and ran and left a truck full of Construction equipment estimated at about the cost of my truck. They drive company trucks, they have no drivers license, no insurance and do not know the laws of our roads.
Make it miserable for employers that break the law like this, set examples and people will stop hiring them.
It is a sad time when all of the jobs you see help wanted for require we speak spanish now. We are not only competing for jobs with them we are being eliminated from being considered because we don't speak spanish.
Last I heard, it was sill a free country. Speak what YOU like. I only speak English. But I'll talk pig Latin to the Pope if I feel like it. People have a right to make their own choices, including what and how they talk.
it's OK wiht you that Americans cannot get jobs in America because they do not speak Spanish?
whambam,
Yep, in California, they really take that right seriously. I was visiting in Pixley, CA a couple of years ago, a town outside of Fresno. At the end of the first week, I did my wash at a coin laundromat. I stepped outside to use the phone, and when I returned 15 minutes later, all my clothes was stolen out of the dryer. When I asked if anyone had seen who took the clothes out the dryer, the entire place looked at me and said no English. It was amazing. Not one person in the whole place spoke English, and there were about twenty people in there. I thought I was in another country.
I was just at Home Depot and they are accepting applications..for bilingual positions lol..I also recently applied for City job and the same thing bilingual candidates highly desired. So I guess they are just doing the jobs that us lazy Americans won't do. lol
You know what amazes me? The other day President Obama was speaking to a jewish group, and I know he was referring to Isreal, but he said "I totally support a state to defend itself from invasion". What's ironic is that I can hear after this sentence "except Arizona".
Go figure???
What part of ILLEGAL is so hard on understand. If we go back far enough most of our relatives had to become citizens, that is what America is about. No free rides, pay your own way, become a citizen and be welcom.
In our community we would certainly survive without them. Just like we have been surviving before the massive influx we have experienced over the past 7 to 10 years. They become a burden on local government and school system from a tax and financial resource stand point.
normally i like the supreme court decisions but this one stinks, take the illegals and deport them but don't blame us for hiring them, we need that cheap labor to compete globally.
Well, at least Limbaugh and his fans are consistent--can't punish the wealthy for slashing wages and treating the "little people" like crap. Just round up the poor and punish them.
Globally? limbaugher are you serious? They are taking good jobs right here in America..you are joking right?
Another liberal Dem here to say - YAY, good for the supreme court. If we punish the businesses for hiring them, they will stop coming here. Simple as that.
I'm still trying to figure out exactly how we punish businesses for this. Take away their business license. It's very easy to simply get another license.
Fine them big time
Heehee...That's what happens when you can't win elections. The White House has been occupied by Republicans 9 of the last 15 terms which means more conservatives on the high court. Obama, if given another term, has a rare opportunity to swing the court to the liberals, but he is doing everything he can to ensure himself one term. If he had focused on the economy and jobs instead of wasting his first two years on ObamaCare, he would probably be re-elected and have a second term to get ObamaCare with a single-payer system, and a chance to appoint a third and fourth justices. Too late now, libs. BTW, can you say 5-4 on ObamaCare next year. LOL
It is about time! Now let us citizens be able to earn a livable wage and go from there.
I work in the construction industry. MANY contractors deliberately hire illegals to avoid workman's comp, FICA, and other taxes. YES THEY KNOW WHO ARE ILLEGALS AND RIP OFF THE COUNTRY DELIBERATELY! Congrats to the citizens of Arizona for putting an end to this racket. Now lets do the same in all other 49 states/territories.
Why does Obama sue anyone who trys anything to help the country. Arizona is part of America and Obama keeps attacking it. And then to also fight against Evirify is a slap in the face to every out of work American in the whole country, BLUE STATES INCLUDED. He aslo supports Mexico suing us over guns. then he tries to produce evidence for them by selling them 2,000 more high powered assualt weapons. He is a traitor.
I'd say it's a pretty miserable victory. You want to take away my business license? Great idea, now I'm out of business and don't have to pay my bills. 30 minutes and $200 later, I'll have a new business with a new business license, and I can go back to doing what I was doing. Enslaving illegals and making a killing with low labor costs.
So it takes 4 years to give local authorities miniscule enforcement over a crime. Not much to celebrate over that. Please, more teeth, less stupidity.
Enslaving. really?
Probably wouldn't need to hire illegals if the folks here legally actually wanted to work at car washes, restaurants, construction sites, collecting gargbage, picking crops etc. Yes its a generalization there are plenty of Americans willing to do hard work. However most parents I know want their kids to do white collar work. God forbid my nephews or nieces have to break a sweat. Interesting the law was enacted by Napolitano and opposed by the Chamber of Commerce. I thought the Chamber was an arm of the GOP.
AgelicaS is absolutely right on target. The money that the American consumer thinks he/she is saving because of cheap, illegal labor is a false savings. The infrastructure to accomodate illegal immigrants costs many time over what is being saved. This not the country's only problem contributing to overspending, but it is a big chunk. If illegal immigrants cannot find work (and most are hard workers) most will leave. Many left Arizona when this law went into effect.
One counter argument is that there will be no one to do many of the low paying, back breaking jobs now done by illegal immigants. There has been proof where I live in Southern California that this is just not true. In the area I live over half the yard/landscape services hire only citizens or those here legally. The man who owns one of the largest yard service concerns here emigrated from Mexico 30 years ago and he refuses to hire anyone that is not here legally. He says it took him 10 years to come here legally, 20 years to build a very lucrative business and he has no sympathy or patience for those that cannot follow the rules.
FINALLY!
This is a first step to give LEGAL immigrants some power over a situation that impacted their ability to obtain jobs , housing, education and healthcare in this country. In real life, an illegal immigrant has all of the challenges (language, culture, etc) an legal immigrant has with NONE of the responsibilities that come with legal entry into this country. Do you know that it is not easy for many to obtain visas into this country? There are forms to be translated and filled, fees to be paid, lines to wait on, officials to interview you , all in the hope of making it. There are MANY who do the right thing and adhere to the process.
Illegal immigrants skip the lines, the fees, the challenge and responsibility inherent in following the legal process to get here. Then, they pose a threat to legal immigrants for the only jobs and housing they are qualified for upon entry. An illegal immigrant is going to work for pennies an hour off the books, sure they can. Paying taxes is of no benefit to them as it would be for a legal immigrant looking to establish themselves here, to build a future for their children to one day own a house or open a business. There is a paper trail on a legal immigrant. From the minute they start the visa process. There is none for an illegal. Think about it…do you get this is a security issue for this country as well?
Illegal immigrants are criminals because they have broken our laws by not following the process many have and still do to obtain visas. PERIOD. Businesses should not hire them, landlords should not rent to them , and police should arrest and have them deported. ENOUGH is ENOUGH. Stop slapping the face of every person who had enough respect for America to do what she asked to be allowed to live here. Support laws that finally seek to uphold the laws already on our books in regards to illegal immigration. This legal, law abiding, taxpaying, child of legal immigrants will thank you.
WE THE PEOPLE... Need to get involved... ARIZONA is getting involved... At least they are TRYING! What are the rest of us doing except crying that out food isn't cooked the way we like it!! boo hoo!
Wake up people! It's ALL about the $$$$$$$$$$$$ and that is that! Every business that hires ILLEAGLES are doing it to SAVE SAVE SAVE. On salary, taxes, benefits and so on... it's called CHEAP labor and every last one of them KNOWs what is what!
Sure let's give them all forgiveness for crossing into the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and while your at it tell them that they now have to give up almost 40% of their $$ to taxes and Social security and don't forget to tell them they will have to PAY for their benefit too!
Well I can see the lines forming now! LOL
The O N L Y reason these clowns wanna forgive them is for the 11 million VOTES! Hello? Did I just say that out loud?
Talk is cheap... everyone has an opinion, But who is standing up and offering a solution?!?!? ARIZONA has and HELLO the Supreme Court backs them up....
Hmmmm maybe WE THE PEOPLE do have some control over the affairs of OUR country and our own FUTURE!
Imagine that...
Wanna shake things up in WASHINGTON? 2 words... TERM LIMITS.
No more 20-30-40-50 years in office, no more free salary (which they feel free to give themselves raises annually while most of the TAX PAYERS who pay their salary are floundering and trying not to loose their houses and feed their kids and DARE I SAY put GAS in their cars), no more free benefits for life... 2 or 4 years and OUT!
Let someone else have a chance... Who knows we might straighten this country out if people are willing to work FOR THE PEOPLE and not just for themselves and their buddies on Wall Street.
God Bless America and ALL OF THE MEN AND WOMEN who have and are defending this great nation with their BLOOD! Freedom is NOT FREE people... NEVER FORGET THAT!
It's a sad thing to see nothing on the news but another pop star goes to rehab or steals a pair of shoes... when the REAL news is happening all around us and being censored and spoon fed to us like we are children...
Baby steps… we can do it! J
PEACE!
here here and we the people do need to get involved, put pressure on our Reps. I send letter, emails and make calls all the time. I get form letters and auto-signed photos back. They never address what I have issue with. I sent Joe Barton of Texas several emails and left voice-mails on his Texas office and Washington office voice mail. I got a three page email that was basically a campaign letter, note a word about why I contacted him. They are not accountable once in office. Flood their emial in box, their voice mail, send letters...
The funny/sad thing is I saw a C-Span story last week or so, it mentioned Congress changing course so many time in history because of public pressure, the years they mentioned were before cell phone and email, all done by US mail letters and phone calls. We are so lazy and complacent and we accept whatever they hand us, WHY? Get loud and let them know!!
Here type in your zip, their email, phone #, address is all right there:
http://whoismyrepresentative.com/
Now lets see, punish the companies that hire illegals intentionally, but lets still give the illegals a license to drive and welfare money. Also lets say if the illegal woman comes over here and has a child now the child is anchor baby. BULL. Lets nip this thing and once and for all take back America. All other countries say woman has a child in that country, citizenship of child follows citizenship of mother. Plain and simple. Also if you are not legal you are not allowed any benefits under welfare, social security or any other government program. And for heavens sake keep the ACLU out of it, I mean last I knew the A stood for American and since they are illegal they should not be allowed legal advice from ACLU. And if you are illegal and or can not read and write English, YOU GET NO LICENSE. Plain and simple.
How about no free education for illegals? How about no food-stamps for illegals? How about no free health-care for illegals? How about no welfare for illegals?
Bravo. I completely agree.
It's about time!
Finally, a law that makes sense.
Uh, are you talking about "...and liberty for all..."? Puh-lease, study what words mean before you abuse them for your personal use:
lib·er·ty/ˈlibərtē/Noun (first internet hit)
1. The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life.
2. An instance of this; a right or privilege, esp. a statutory one
-oppresive restrictions does not mean "laws don't apply to me"
-are you defining one's way of life to be one by which someone brings their societal values and laws (or lack-thereof) into another country
-did you see the other part/definition about privilege? how about "certain unalienable rights"...look that one up while you're at it
Another definition includes:
(Websters) "the positive enjoyment of various social, political or economic rights or privileges"
Keep it in context. Liberty does not mean the right to break laws and steal from an organization or individual, which is what illegals are in essence doing.
I fail to understand why the US Chamber of Commerce is opposed to punishing businesses who hire Illegals, maybe we should boycott businesses that support the US Chamber of Commerce, what an unAmerican organization.
About time! Illegal aliens are costing this country 3 dollars for every dollar they generate. The governement especially the Democrats want them as they see them as future voters that can be conditioned to rely on the government for their very existence!
Yes, I agree (and I am a Democrat.) Democrats see illegal aliens as future voters. However, America should first start enforcing voter and Civil Right Violations, for the Americans that were born in this country - instead of running to protect people that are illegally here.
Finally, the Supreme Court did something correct. I agree that businesses should have their licenses yanked upon the first violation. American jobs should go to Americans!