The Georgia state house has approved a bill that would levy a 5-percent surcharge on wire transfers by illegal immigrants to their native countries. Georgia has experienced a rapid growth in immigrant population, and state lawmakers are seeking to stem the tide of undocumented workers and recoup the cost of providing public services to them.
People who could show passports, green cards or other proof that they're here legally, or that they pay taxes in Georgia, wouldn't have to pay the fee.
Financial institutions and immigrants' rights advocates have lined up to fight the measure. Western Union says it would be hard for customer service agents to determine on the spot whether someone was legally in the country. Emily Kopp of Georgia Public Broadcasting reports.
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