Illegal Aliens Caught Working on Atlanta Area Courthouse
Ten illegal aliens who were working as bricklayers at the new Cobb County Courthouse were fired after it was learned of their immigration status. Georgia is one of 10 states with a mandatory E-Verify law in place, requiring state agencies and contractors to use the workplace verification system.
Turner Construction Company is overseeing the $63 million project that is funded by taxpayers. One of their subcontractors, Zebra Construction, failed to use E-Verify in hiring the bricklayers. The illegal aliens were detected when a member of "Jobs for Georgians" posed as a bricklayer and found that the illegal workers were being paid in cash for their work.
The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers also contacted Zebra in November and were told that no paperwork needed to be submitted by the bricklayers before starting work and that they were being paid in cash.
"Turner will continue to cooperate closely with the county and to monitor the employment eligibility of all workers on the project," Turner's Public Relations Manager Shannon Eckhart said in a released statement.
Turner has hired a subcontractor to finish the masonry work, and the workers are being checked through E-Verify.
For more information, see Atlanta's WGCL-TV and the Atlanta Journal Constitution.