James King Quoted in Atlanta Business Chronicle
“Costly Compliance: Immigration law adds new concerns for businesses”

Atlanta partner James King was quoted in a June Atlanta Business Chronicle article discussing Georgia’s Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011, which was signed into law in May. According to the article, the main way the law will affect businesses is through its requirement that Georgia employers with 11 or more employees use E-Verify, an Internet-based system run by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA), to determine the eligibility of new hires to work in the U.S.

One of the concerns about the new requirements is that they could prove time-consuming and expensive for employers. “E-Verify is clunky, the rules regarding its use are complex and require changes to the I-9 process, and businesses have to provide training to the people that are going to be responsible for using it,” commented Jim.

There are also concerns about a potential political backlash, such as that seen when similar legislation was implemented in Arizona earlier in the decade. Jim surmised, “I think we will see boycott activity, as well as damage to the reputation of Atlanta as a world-class city, that will result in a loss of dollars from the tourism and convention businesses.”

To help businesses navigate the complexities of the law, Jim advises getting legal counsel that is well-versed in its use and implications. “E-Verify is not a hugely difficult program to set up and administer, but it does take some time and resources. … It can pay off to find counsel that knows the law well in this area, as opposed to just slogging your way through the DHS website.”