The Hemet City Council last week unanimously approved an ordinance that requires all employers to ensure that their employees are legally allowed to work in the U.S.
Stressing the importance of protecting businesses and residents from losing jobs to illegal workers, the council voted on April 26 to require the use of E-Verify for all new hires in the city beginning June 9.
The ordinance passed with no debate from council members. Three members of the public also spoke, all in favor of the new measure.
Council members said it was only fair that U.S.Citizens and legal workers get first crack at scarce jobs. Unemployment in Riverside County is very high at around 14%. Hemet is a large suburban city with about 80,000 residents and is located approximately 15 miles north of Temecula.
"When you are here illegally and you don't play by the rules, there is a price to pay," said Councilman Larry Smith. "The city has chosen to follow the laws of the land."
E-Verify is used by many cities in Southern California and nationally. Hemet’s ordinance is modeled after the one adopted in Temecula, which went into effect Jan. 1st.
Mexican and illegal alien activists have called the use of E-Verify by cities and businesses “racist”, even though it checks the status of all employees for legal authorization to work in the U.S.
Under the new ordinance, if a business in Hemetis caught hiring illegal aliens, the City Manager can ask that the employee be terminated. A second offense can result in the business having its business license revoked.
Hemet City Attorney Eric Vail thanked the Hemet Tea Party for providing information on the E-Verify system, saying it helped his office to create the ordinance.
E-Verify is a free web-based service. Visit www.dhs.gov/e-verify for more details.
JeffSchwlk@cox.net 760-525-1655
Comments