South Carolina Immigration Laws

All private employers must use E-Verify to verify every new employee within 3 business days of hire. Mandatory for all employers since January 1, 2012. Penalties: 1st violation — 1-year probation with quarterly compliance reports. Knowingly employing unauthorized workers: license suspension (10-60 days), escalating to revocation.

South Carolina has no sanctuary cities and actively prohibits sanctuary policies. Pending legislation would withhold Local Government Fund disbursements from non-compliant jurisdictions. 287(g) agreements expanded from 3 to 15 as of May 2025.

Undocumented immigrants are prohibited from enrolling in public higher education. DACA recipients may enroll but cannot access in-state tuition or state financial aid. South Carolina is classified as a "Prohibitive" state for undocumented student access.