Immigrants seek new law information

CALHOUN, Georgia (AP):

In this northwest Georgia town where many work in the local carpet factories, people crammed into a community centre to learn about Georgia's new law cracking down on illegal immigration - some of them scared to the point they're ready to leave the state.

The meeting was similar to others being held around the state to inform the immigrant community - legal and illegal alike - about the law and their rights. With anxiety running high and some illegal immigrants talking about packing up and leaving the state, organisers of the meetings are trying not only to educate but also to quell fears.

"There's a lot of confusion, a lot of fear and a lot of anxiety," Jerry Gonzalez, executive director of the Atlanta-based Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, told the roughly 100 people gathered Thursday evening in Calhoun. "We're here now to explain things so you can make informed decisions based on reality and not based on fear or emotion."

The new law authorises law enforcement to check the immigration status of a suspect who cannot provide identification, and to detain and hand over to federal authorities anyone found to be in the country illegally.

It also penalises people who, during the commission of another crime, knowingly transport or harbour illegal immigrants and makes it a felony to present false documents or information when applying for a job.

Most parts of the law are set to take effect July 1. A requirement for many employers to use a federal database to check the immigration status of new hires is set to be phased in starting in January, with all employers with more than 10 employees to be using the database by July 2013.