Under the organization of the Long Island Immigrant Alliance, immigrant rights supporters [including members of Make the Road New York] gathered at the Suffolk County Legislature on June 7 to speak out against two employee verification bills.
The measures would have called for county contractors and licensees to check the immigration status of their employees using the federal E-Verify system, which has been criticized for encouraging discrimination against Latinos and immigrants in the workplace, as well as for inaccuracy.
After hearing from dozens of E-Verify opponentsand only a single backerthe legislature decided to table the bills until a meeting on November 9. By that time, the sponsor of the legislation, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, will be nearing the end of his term in office, and his successor will have been elected.
The move signals a victory for immigrant rights groups, and also shows the extent to which the bills were irrelevant to addressing the needs of the county at-large.
Watch the video below to hear a mix of local immigrant rights supporters explain the misguided nature of the legislation.
To watch the video and read the original article, please click here.