Proposed security updates for Cobb County Business license application

All business license applications and first time renewals after (on) 1 January 2008

Include in existing application/affidavit declaration of:

U.S. Citizenship
or Lawful Permanent Residence
or Other legal immigration/visa status
(For the last two categories Alien Number and expiration date must be included)

Also included as requirement for processing on updated application/affidavit:

Social Security number and U.S. driver’s license or state issued photo ID number. The Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) will not be accepted as per IRS regulations.
Driver’s licenses from states that do not require legal immigration status not accepted.

This can be accomplished by directive as was Basic Pilot (now known as E-Verify) and SAVE implementation last year.

SAVE program can be used to verify legal status of aliens.

Cobb County can pass on to applicant the fee for SAVE verification costs.

(present application forms here )

The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program is an intergovernmental information-sharing initiative designed to aid eligibility workers in determining a non-citizen applicant’s immigration status, and thereby ensure that only entitled non-citizen applicants receive Federal, state, or local public benefits and licenses. The SAVE Program is an information service for benefit issuing agencies, institutions, licensing bureaus, and other entities. The SAVE Program does not make determinations on any non-citizen applicant’s eligibility for a specific benefit or license. HERE.

“… SSA generally denies that it reports mismatch data to USCIS for enforcement purposes, with one exception: where an employee’s W-2 contains an individual taxpayer identification number (“ITIN”) instead of an SSN. ITINs are issued only to individuals who are not authorized to work in the United States, such as spouses of certain non-immigrant visa holders who wish to file joint tax returns. Employers should be aware that ITINs always begin with the number 9 and should not be accepted as evidence of work authorization”. HERE.

It is now more than six years since the horror of 9/11. A 2006 U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security report illustrates that illegal aliens from nations with known terrorist ties are regularly crossing our borders. HERE.

A recent news report in the Washington Times warned that possibly 60 Afghan and Iraqi terrorists were to be smuggled into the U.S. with the help of Mexican drug cartels.

Due to the obvious security risk to all Americans caused by the federal government’s failure to secure our borders, it is clear that state and local governments must update various everyday regulations and guidelines to protect their communities.

Illegal immigration and illegal employment – terrorist threat or not – are crimes and we should expect all possible barriers and deterrents to facilitating or encouraging those crimes to be put in place.

According to information I have gathered on the issuance of many types of common business licenses in Cobb County, it is very likely possible to apply for and be issued a license to operate a business here without demonstrating lawful presence in the United States or providing verifiable proof of identity.

Most Cobb citizens, once educated, will no doubt find this as troubling as I do.
I am sure this board does as well and will take steps to correct what seems to be glaring holes in our system.

If we are issuing business licenses to illegal aliens, from anywhere, it is my contention that we are thereby encouraging them to remain in Cobb County and the U.S.

While counting as merely another step of many that are possible, implementing the very simple changes and security updates on the applications for obtaining as business license in Cobb that I propose will go along way to making Cobb a more safe and secure place for all legal residents and citizens to live the American dream.

I hope that these security updates will be carefully considered and implemented effective the first day of January 2008.

It is my respectful observation that if we are not doing all we can to stop illegal immigration and illegal employment, we are actually encouraging and enabling that activity.

While most Americans will recognize these proposed security updates to be merely taking precautions to insure that we are making an attempt to avoid issuing a business license to the many who refuse to obey federal immigration and employment laws, we recognize that some will oppose it on the grounds that it is somehow an effort at improper local enforcement of those laws.

To the latter group, we offer the below:

TITLE 8 – ALIENS AND NATIONALITY
CHAPTER 12 – IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY
SUBCHAPTER II – IMMIGRATION
PART VIII – GENERAL PENALTY PROVISIONS
Section 1324a. Unlawful employment of aliens
(h) Miscellaneous provisions
(2) Preemption
The provisions of this section preempt any State or local law
imposing civil or criminal sanctions (other than through
licensing and similar laws) upon those who employ, or recruit or
refer for a fee for employment, unauthorized aliens.

D.A. King
President www.thedustininmansociety.org