More from South Carolina: Is There Something in the Water?

It has been a bizarre news day.  There is tons of immigration news from South Carolina. Earlier today, I posted about a proposed law that, among other things, would kick undocumented children out of the public schools.  And there is more.

On Thursday, immigration agents arrested dozens of undocumented immigrants in the Charleston area.  Click here for the story.

A bill proposed in the South Carolina legislature (Immigration Compliance Act of 2008 H.B. 3148 State Legislative Website Full Text: http://www.multistatetech.com/cgi/citesource?sctnys=SCHB31482007) would “require[] public employers of the state to register and participate in the federal work authorization program, contractors and subcontractors; provides that a person may not receive or services or benefits provided by the state unless a person verifies that they are lawfully present; requires the parents of a child to verify that the child is legally present.”

A second South Carolina county has passed an ordinance targeting the employment of illegal immigrants. Under the Dorchester County ordinance narrowly approved Monday, the county could revoke the license of any business employing illegal immigrants. Beaufort County last month passed a similar ordinance.  Click here for the story.

As this story makes clear, immigration has become a national, not just a regional, issue.

KJ