Today's USA

The U.S. Senate and House have passed widely divergent immigration bills. The Senate's legislation would put most undocumented immigrants on a path to citizenship. The House bill would make illegal immigrants felons and increase penalties for hiring them..

Right now at least 30 states have passed laws or taken other steps in few year to crack down on illegal immigrants, often making it harder for undocumented workers to find jobs or receive public services. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, among major themes of the state legislation: fining businesses that hire undocumented workers and denying such companies public contracts if they don't verify the legal status of employees.

However, luck that under the federal law, states must provide some services to illegal immigrants, including public education and emergency medical care. States do not have to provide commercial licenses, food assistance, health care, unemployment benefits or other services.

EXAMPLES ARE: 1) A Georgia bill enacted in April has a phased-in requirement that public employers and government contractors and subcontractors verify information on newly hired workers through a federal program. ( http://www.georgia.org/NR/rdonlyres/AFB3F7A4-8D02-40AC-9BDC-657405719BB9/0/quotes_fact05_ajcexpandedbu.gif)

2)A Louisiana law approved in June subjects businesses that have state contracts and more than 10 employees to fines if they don't fire workers known to be undocumented. (http://www.nwlahba.org/images/insurance.jpg)