“Our concern is this goes too far,” Romo said. “If you dehumanize humans, it’s easy to mistreat them.”

Pat Fennell, executive director of the Latino Community Development Agency in Oklahoma City, said Henry was forced to sign the bill because the overwhelming support it received in the Legislature made an override likely.

“This is a bad bill. But we live in a political world,” Fennell said. “This bill is not going to solve one thing on immigration.”

The legislation builds on measures passed by other states but focuses on deterring unauthorized employment. Among other things, it contains employment, labor law and civil rights provisions to protect citizens and legal immigrants who lose their jobs at companies that employ illegal immigrants to perform the same or similar work.

The measure targets employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens in order to gain a competitive advantage. Key elements of the bill focus on determining worker eligibility, including technology called the Basic Pilot program, which screens Social Security numbers to make sure they are real and that they match up with the job applicant’s name.

Created by the federal government to verify the eligibility of government employees, use of the program is mandated in Georgia, authorities said. It is free to employers who voluntarily sign up.

Public agencies will be required to use the program beginning Nov. 1 and private companies by July 1, 2008.

The measure would also limit state driver’s licenses and identity cards to citizens and legal immigrants and would require state and local agencies to verify the citizenship and immigration status of applicants for state or local benefits.

It also retains an in-state tuition program for children of illegal immigrants attending state colleges and universities. The measure now allows students to continue paying in-state tuition but new applicants must apply for citizenship within one year.

The measure would not affect emergency medical and humanitarian services, such as visits to hospital emergency rooms and enrollment in public schools, that are required by federal law.

Henry urged lawmakers to closely monitor the impact of the bill to make sure it does not have unintended consequences.

“While some will undoubtedly claim this state legislation is a landmark step forward, the truth of the matter is we will not effectively address immigration reform until the federal government acts,” Henry said.