Montana Goes Against Spirit Of Immigration Reform
Some individual states, such as Montana, are moving away from the forgiving spirit of immigration reform legislation recently unveiled in Washington, D.C. by considering harsh new measures against individuals who are illegal as well as the businesses that hire them.
Under a bill presently before the Montana state Senate, if a business is employing workers who are in the United States illegally, the business would be required to fire those workers or lose their business license. The state’s House of Representatives already approved the measure.
The bill’s opponents attacked the bill as bad for Montana businesses, claiming that companies will “get slapped down by their competition” if the bill becomes law.
If the bill passes the state Senate, it heads to the desk of Governor Steve Bullock, who previously vetoed a bill that prohibited local governments from establishing policies that say they won’t enforce federal illegal immigration laws.
Montana is no stranger to immigration controversy recently. Earlier this year, a district judge declined to block a voter-approved law that required a person to provide proof of citizenship or legal standing to receive state services. A lawsuit challenge to the law is still pending.