As it turns out, there was a big giant loophole in South Carolina’s attempt to take the title of unfriendliest state for immigrants. South Carolina lawmakers must have seen stories about crops rotting in the fields in Alabama and Georgia, because as the Latin American Herald Tribune reports, South Carolina exempted farm labor from new e-verify requirements. But that’s not all. Legislators also saw fit to exempt nannies, pastors and some fishermen from the requirements.
Tammy Besherse, with South Carolina Appleseed, attended most of the hearings. She spoke with the Latin American Herald Tribune and told them she did not recall any discussion of exemptions.
So if you’re hiring a doctor, construction worker or wait staff, make sure you run them through the federal database to see if they are documented. But if you’re hiring a farm worker or a nanny, no worries.Perhaps Ivan Segura, vice president of the Council of Mexicans in the Carolinas, said it best…
“It’s like saying we don’t want undocumented people in South Carolina unless they pick fruit and vegetables and look after our kids.”
A United SC continues to believe in the virtue of welcoming all visitors to our state.
Filed under: Arizona-copycat laws, immigrant community, Migrant Workers, Racism, S.B. 20, South Carolina
Great article! Thanks… I’m “sharing.”