The office manager of a Sierra Vista drywall firm was sentenced to jail today for hiring illegal immigrants in the case of the first worksite enforcement bust in Arizona by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to this news release by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Arizona, 44-year-old Carol Hill of Sun Drywall and Stucco must serve two months in prison, followed by one year of house arrest and 36 months of supervised release.
That’s a pretty stiff sentence for doing something that thousands of other Arizonians have done in recent years: Hire illegal immigrants.
Some worksite enforcement has occurred locally due to the state’s employer sanctions law. But that has resulted only in the jailing of Hispanic employees, not their bosses. In fact, the state’s law doesn’t mandate jail time for employers in violation.
The punishment for Hill and Sun Drywall, however, will undoubtedly instill more fear in employers who hire illegal immigrants.
