What is involved in legally employing an immigrant, and who is responsible for verifying legality?

In today’s Morning Briefing we look at those questions to give context to the recent federal raid at Fuyao Glass America in Moraine. We also look at the effort of a group of West Dayton residents and their bid to get a new hospital to serve the community.

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It’s illegal to hire immigrants who aren’t authorized to work but the law is difficult to enforce

It is is illegal to knowingly hire an immigrant who is not lawfully in the U.S. and does not have the government’s permission to work. But compliance with the law and enforcement of it are challenging.

• “Undocumented” vs. “unauthorized”: Some people use the term “undocumented” but the official federal term is “unauthorized” and is defined by homeland security as all foreign-born non-citizens who are not legal residents.

• Potential crimes: Criminal investigations are usually focused on money laundering, potential human smuggling, labor exploitation and financial crimes.

• 1986 law: Employment verification requirements went into place when the federal government in 1986 made it illegal for companies to knowingly hire people who were not lawfully in the U.S. and had no government permission to work.

• Is the law working? The law aimed to deter people from crossing the border unlawfully, and seeking work, however, that did not turn out to be successful. An estimated 11 million unauthorized immigrants live in the U.S. and an estimated 7 million of those unauthorized immigrants are working.

• Raids are rare: Federal raids like the one that occurred at Fuyao Glass America in Moraine and 27 other sites across the region last month are rare. The government is more likely to rely on audits of companies’ employment records if it suspects unlawful workers are employed.

• Penalties: Companies violating the law can be assessed penalties and the unauthorized workers could be deported. Very few people go to jail.

• Rules for hiring: All employers are required to have new employees complete a U.S. Department of Homeland Security I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form attesting to their identity and employment authorization.

Dayton commission rejects tax levy request toward West Dayton public hospital

City officials say the funding a hospital levy would produce is insufficient; supporters say voters should decide, adding that West Dayton health needs get overlooked.

• Proposed levy: The 1 mill tax levy would generate $2 million annually to support creation of a new municipal hospital in West Dayton. The proposed levy would last 10 years and cost the standard owner of a $100,000 home about $35 per year.

• Levy not enough? Some groups estimate that a new hospital could cost hundreds of millions of dollars to construct and operate.

• Petition falls short: The citizen petition contained 874 valid signatures, 1,250 were required.

• What coalition members say: “You ought to trust the people who did sign the ballot initiative to say, ‘If people want it, let’s see if we can make it work,’” Bishop Richard Cox, president of the Clergy Community Coalition, told the city commission. “Why don’t you try it and let the voters decide whether or not they want this in their community.”

• What commissioners say: “From what I’ve seen, this does not seem to be sustainable, and I don’t want to create false hope for our residents,” said Commissioner Chris Shaw. “It’s just very difficult for me to support an effort that is clearly unsustainable and theoretically could bankrupt this city and this community.”

What to know today

• Best of Dayton: After more than 160,000 votes, the people have spoken. Find the winners here.

• One big takeaway: A Greene County assistant prosecutor was fired following a road rage incident where part of a man’s finger was bitten off in Riverside.

• Tip of the day: 6888 Kitchen Incubator has added a catering collective, grocery store, and two members have added lunch hours at the Dayton Arcade.

• Person to know today: William Hendon. The baseball fan no longer faces criminal charges for running onto the field at Great American Ball Park and doing a backflip before being hit by a Taser from a police officer.

• Big move of the day: Dayton Public Schools formally opens new transportation center.

• Stat of the day: 38,000 people. Col. Travis Pond, deputy commander of the 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, said the latest numbers showed that’s how many people now live and work there.

• Thing to do: 10 things to do in Dayton this weekend

• Photo of the day: Photo of the day: Photographer Bill Lackey was on hand for the ground breaking ceremony for Ohio’s first Buc-ee’s being built in Huber Heights. See all the photos here.