Immigration Reform in Georgia Another law, if passed by the Senate and signed, the Dept. of Justice will oppose

In Georgia, of all places, the House voted 113-56 an illegal immigration law (House Bill 87 also called the Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011) that would allow law officers to verify the immigration status of criminal suspects, penalizes people who transport or harbor illegal immigrants. The bill would also require employers to verify the immigration status of new hires and would make it a felony to “willfully and fraudulently” present false documentation when applying for a job.

Plus, the bill would empowering people to sue local and state government officials who don't enforce existing state laws aimed at illegal immigration.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Georgia has the ninth-largest population among states, but it is home to the seventh-largest number of illegal immigrants, estimated at 425,000, the Pew Hispanic Center said in a report released last month."

Legislature info
The Assembly consists of 116 Republicans, 63 Democrats, 1 Independent.
The Senate consists of 36 Republicans, 20 Democrats.
House Bill 87 text.

Newly released figures show the unemployment rate in Georgia is 10.4 percent. "January marked the 40th consecutive month Georgia has exceeded the national unemployment rate, which is currently 9.0 percent."

GALLUP SHOWS U.S. UNEMPLOYMENT AT 10.3%