"Businesses, lawyers grapple with state's new immigration law"

Nexsen Pruet immigration attorney Melissa Azallion is quoted in an article in Hilton Head's The Island Packet entitled "Businesses, lawyers grapple with state's new immigration law."

Since July 1, 2009, private employers in South Carolina with 100 or more employees have been subject to audits by the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) to check compliance with the South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act.

In the July 25th article, reporter Josh McCann examined the impact the new requirements are having on businesses.  A restaurateur said "completing the new verification process has proven frustrating, time-consuming and costly."

What's more, there is growing concern about whether LLR might be overstepping its authority to enforce the act.  Azallion told The Island Packet that "even though the law applies only to workers hired after July 1, some auditors have asked to see lists of everyone who works at a business.  Such procedures are allowed only if they believe an employer has knowingly and intentionally hired an unauthorized worker."  Click here to read the full article.

Melissa Azallion represents individuals and corporate clients in multiple industries, including higher education, manufacturing, health care, hospitality, government, and technology. She serves on the board of directors for the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, is past chairman of the Lowcountry Workforce Investment Board, and is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.