SB539 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Steve French

Republican

Co-Sponsors

J.T. WaggonerBen H. BrooksTrip PittmanPaul SanfordRusty GloverArthur OrrScott Beason

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Illegal aliens, illegal to hire, Industrial Relations Department reguired to verify employment eligibility of all employees through federal E-Verify program and to report to U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, penalties

Summary

SB539 would ban Alabama businesses and public employers from knowingly hiring unauthorized aliens, require mandatory E-Verify checks for all employees, and impose licensure penalties and ICE reporting for violations.

What This Bill Does

It makes it unlawful for a business entity or public employer in Alabama to knowingly hire or recruit for a fee an unauthorized alien. It requires the Department of Industrial Relations to use the federal E-Verify system to verify the employment eligibility of every employee working for those employers. It requires the department to report any detected unauthorized hires to ICE. It imposes penalties: a first violation results in a warning, a second violation leads to suspension of the business license until compliant, and a third or subsequent violation leads to a one-year license revocation.

Who It Affects

• Business entities (for-profit and not-for-profit) and public employers located in Alabama, who would be prohibited from knowingly hiring unauthorized aliens and would have to verify every employee's eligibility.
• Employees of these entities, whose employment eligibility would be checked via E-Verify (with exceptions for casual domestic labor and for workers of independent contractors who are not considered employees under the act).
• Enforcement and reporting entities: the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations would enforce the law and report violations to ICE; ICE would handle removal actions as appropriate.

Key Provisions

• Prohibits knowingly hiring or recruiting for a fee an unauthorized alien by Alabama business entities or public employers.
• Requires the Department of Industrial Relations to use E-Verify to determine employment eligibility for every employee working for those employers in the state.
• Requires the department to report discovered unauthorized hires to ICE or its successor agency.
• Imposes penalties: first violation = warning; second violation = suspension of the business license until compliance; third or subsequent violations = license revoked for one year.
• Effective date: becomes law on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Employment