Montana House votes down harsher penalties for employers hiring immigrants in US illegally

The Montana House on Monday narrowly voted down a bill that would have imposed tougher penalties on employers caught hiring immigrants in the United States illegally.

Sponsored by Rep. Lukas Schubert, R-Evergreen, House Bill 536 proposed new penalties for individuals and businesses that employ immigrants in the U.S. illegally, including the revocation of state-issued licenses, such as drivers' licenses and hunting licenses. Currently, employers that violate unlawful employment laws are subject to a fine of up to $300.  

The bill would have also created a private right of action, allowing individuals to sue if they believed a competing company employed immigrants here illegally.