LANSING Mich. Michigan’s House of Representatives is expected to introduce a bill that would levy fines of up to $250,000 on restaurateurs or other employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. The measure also would prescribe prison sentences of up to five years for repeat offenders.
The proposal would make Michigan one of about 20 states that have passed laws this year to address the employment of undocumented workers. The restaurant industry is believed to be one of the nation’s largest employers of illegal aliens, with an estimated 1.4 million undocumented workers holding foodservice jobs.
The Michigan Restaurant Association opposes the concept of penalizing employers, said association lobbyist Andy Deloney.
“Business owners aren’t in the business of policing the nation’s borders,” he said. “It appears there is a state representative who wants to go after employers who do everything they can to verify immigrant status.”
Deloney said the chief sponsor, Rep. Mike Simpson, is trying to “piggyback on an easy issue” that has drawn national attention because he is likely to face a tough re-election battle next year.