Construction Citizen links to a story from Alabama about what happens when a state adopts an Arizona-style approach to the immigration problem.  Workers leave the state and take their talent and dollars with them.  Interestingly, where are all the U.S. citizens eager to take their jobs?

Set to go into effect on September 1, the law will require that employers register by April 1, 2012 and then use the federal program E-Verify to determine all workers’ eligibility to work in the United States.  In order to work on government projects, employers must begin using the system by January 1, 2012.  Employers will face escalating penalties for each violation and may lose their business licenses permanently after 3 offences.  Other potential penalties for employers include having to pay 10 times the deduction taken as a business expense for wages paid to a worker found to be illegal.

Jimmy Latham, CEO of WAR Construction in Tuscaloosa and president of the Alabama Association of General Contractors (AGC) is quoted as saying:

“Statewide, what we think will happen is that the (work) crew sizes will get smaller and prices will go up.”

Latham explained that the workforce shortage would result in projects taking longer to complete, especially next year when the law takes effect.  He said that the Alabama construction industry was already facing a labor shortage even before this law was passed, and for this reason, the AGC has been advertising to attract new workers to begin careers in construction, as well as partnering with the Alabama Construction Recruitment Institute on their Go Build Alabama initiative which we told you about last March.

Texas was fortunate to avoid this kind of unwise and damaging legislation.

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