Immigrant families sleep in front of the Wollaston MBTA station in Quincy
Dozens of immigrant families, many with young children and infants, slept on the ground outside Wollaston T-Station on Monday, August 26, 2024.
A congressman from the US state of Ohio wants to punish employers who hire immigrants without permanent residency status.
Republican Rep. Thomas Patton of Strongsville introduced House Bill 656 earlier this month, which would prohibit any employer from knowingly employing a person who is in the country illegally.
More: No, immigrants do not commit crimes more often than people born in the US, despite Trump’s speech on the border
Those affected could file a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General, who would investigate the case and notify the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The county sheriff and other local law enforcement agencies could assist in the investigation. The county attorney would then take the employer to court.
The bill states that the district court can order the employer to fire all “unauthorized aliens,” place them on probation for three years, or order the suspension of their licenses for up to ten business days.
An employer could prove that it has not hired permanent resident status by using the E-Verify program or another status verification system.
More: Read the details of Bill 656
If the bill comes into force, the Attorney General’s Office will maintain a database containing the names of employers who violate the law and the address of the establishment where they have employed people without permanent residency status.
No committee has yet been set up for the bill.
Erin Glynn is a reporter for the Ohio Bureau of the USA TODAY Network, which covers the Columbus Dispatch, the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
