Two Agriculture Commissioners in Georgia “forget” to obey 2006 state law requiring official agencies ( Public Employers) to use the no-cost federal E-Verify system. Below is the official complaint sent from the Dustin Inman Society to Georgia Attorney General today. Stay tuned to see if the law is really enforced. It hasn’t been so far.

“… I am in hopes that part of any action from your office would be the requirement or recommendation of a federal audit of existing hiring records in the Agriculture Department by taking advantage of the no-cost federal IMAGE certification program that involves checking previously hired employees’ records and the ID offered during the original hiring process. This federal audit weeds out and exposes false and stolen documents used by illegal workers…”

This went to the Attorney General of Georgia today:

January 7, 2013

To:
Honorable Mr. Sam Olens
Attorney General, State of Georgia
Office of the Attorney General
40 Capitol Square, SW
Atlanta, Ga 30334

Sent via email

Cc: Mr. Nels Peterson – Solicitor General

Official complaint of violation of state law OCGA 13-10-91 and request for action regarding current and previous Commissioners of Georgia Department of Agriculture

Mr. Olens,

Please regard this as an official complaint and request for action regarding violation of OCGA 13-10-91 by the current Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the previous person to hold that post for clear and costly violation of this Georgia statute.

As you know, this code section requires every public employer in Georgia to register and participate in the federal work authorization program now known as E-Verify. This law was the topic of widespread, months-long national and international news attention when it was created in 2006. And when it became effective in July of 2007. And when it was altered in 2011.

According to a recent Associated Press news report, the Georgia Department of Agriculture – a public employer – was warned of the fact that it was in violation of this law in November of 2011. Even then did not rectify the violation by beginning use of the very effective E-Verify database until April of 2012. Six years after the original law was passed.
This information has reportedly been confirmed by the same office.

Current state law provides for clear penalties for violating this law, which was designed to protect public jobs for legal workers in the state. Georgia suffers from one of the highest unemployment rates and number of illegal workers and their dependents in the entire nation.

The latest report I have found is that the Pew Hispanic Center estimates that 7% of Georgia’s workforce consists of black-market labor. Our unemployment rate is officially between 8% and 9% – with minorities suffering higher rates.

Governor Deal has repeatedly estimated the cost to taxpayers of this organized crime to be at least $2.4 billion annually.

On behalf of the thousands of Georgians who have for years demanded immigration and employment law enforcement, I ask that your office take the action and use the penalties provided for in the laws to deter other Department heads and agencies from fearlessly forgetting to obey the law.

For the record, I know the current commissioner to be a good man, an outstanding citizen and a well-intentioned, valuable public servant to the people of Georgia. I am sure the same can be said of the former Commissioner. And countless other Georgians – including elected officials – who have been prosecuted for violation of Georgia law.

I have no way of knowing if or how many illegal workers may have been hired by the Agriculture Department since July 2007. Or how many American workers lost out on state employment because of illegal hiring. I don’t believe the Commissioner does either.

I am in hopes that part of any action from your office would be the requirement or recommendation of a federal audit of existing hiring records in the Agriculture Department by taking advantage of the no-cost federal IMAGE certification program that involves checking previously hired employees’ records and the ID offered during the original hiring process. This federal audit weeds out and exposes false and stolen documents used by illegal workers.

At the least, I am respectfully asking for an equal application of the law and that the people of Georgia see that laws aimed at illegal immigration and illegal hiring created by the General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor have real meaning.

I attach a link to the AP news story to which I refer here.

I look forward to your kind reply and am happy to answer any questions.

Very Respectfully,

D.A. King
President, the Dustin Inman Society
Marietta, Ga.