ATLANTA — Cobb County officials are enhancing security — including background checks for all workers — at the courthouse construction site in downtown Marietta amid complaints illegal aliens are working at the site.
“We have a responsibility to the public, the judicial system and the citizens of Cobb County to make sure this site is both safe and secure,” Cobb County Sheriff Neil Warren said in a news release. “Our focus is on ensuring that every worker on the site has gone through a complete background check.”
For months, there have been complaints that illegal aliens have been working on the courthouse project, the Marietta Daily Journal has reported.
“Cobb County has had enough of any perception of illegals working on projects,” the Marietta Daily Journal quoted Commissioner Bob Ott as saying. “We need to make sure we are comfortable in saying we only have legal workers working on projects.”
The sheriff’s office will be implementing the new security requirements starting this week, county officials said. The new courthouse should be finished by the end of the year, according to county officials.
“The county has worked closely with Turner Construction to make sure that all employment verifications required by state law have been met,” County Manager David Hankerson said in a news release. “Our Board of Commissioners have listened to the public and made this issue a high priority.”
