A local resident has proposed to the Athens City Council that the city pull the business license of anyone caught employing illegal immigrants.

Quentin D. Anderson Jr. came before the council Monday night to present a proposal in which the statement “We certify that we do not knowingly hire or currently employ any illegal aliens,” would be added to city of Athens business license applications.

Anderson said he had spoken to Tracy Roberts, assistant general counsel of the Alabama League of Municipalities, as to the legality of adding the statement.

“Roberts said that in his opinion there was no problem with having that sentence used on business license applications,” said Anderson. “He also saw no problem with a penalty of business revocation for a violation of this statement.”

There are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants currently living in the U.S. The president has stepped up border patrols to try to stem the flow of illegal immigrants from Mexico.

“The main incentive for this problem is that these aliens want to get a good job and also participate in the benefits of being a U.S. resident without having to do it legally,” said Anderson, a frequent member of the council audience at regularly scheduled meetings. “We have to eliminate the freely-given jobs to eliminate the incentive to illegally enter our country.”

Council President Ronnie Marks asked Councilman Henry White to work on the feasibility of adding the sentence to business license applications. White is a candidate for Alabama House District 5 representative in the runoff election July 18 against retired teacher Anita Raby.