The Murrieta, Ga. City Council mandated the use of E-Verify for all businesses in the city. The Department of Homeland Security program is aimed at curbing the employment of illegal immigrants and other ineligible workers. It checks a prospective employee's Social Security number and other information against government databases to make sure the person can legally work in the country.

The measure was approved unanimously. The council all but agreed to the ordinance during a previous meeting, but held off on a vote over some technical concerns.

The law makes the use of E-Verify mandatory to get a Murrieta business license. It calls for code enforcement officers to check out any allegations of noncompliance. Penalties range from a few hundred dollars to the loss of a business license for repeat offenders.