Associated Press (04/04/12)

Although some calculations indicate that nearly 369,000 companies
do business in Alabama, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
says just 18,137 were enrolled in the E-Verify system as of April
2, meaning thousands of businesses missed the April 1
registration deadline set forth by the state’s immigration
law. Currently, businesses do not face penalties for failing to
register, but officials say they are encouraging them to do so to
provide legal protection in the event that it is determined they
hired illegal immigrants, the consequences of which include the
loss of their business license.