The all-Republican county commission has filed a racketeering lawsuit against four large businesses in the area, charging that they deliberately hire illegal workers.

The spectacle of the county’s political leaders taking its businesses to court has touched off a bitter local debate.

Chicago lawyer Howard Foster has spearheaded the use of RICO statutes as a tool against illegal immigration.

RICO targets a person or group for crimes committed systematically as part of an ongoing enterprise. It carries tough criminal penalties. Its civil component, which the immigration suits fall under, allows plaintiffs to sue for triple damages.

In four RICO suits since 1998, Foster has alleged that companies have knowingly and repeatedly conspired with labor contractors over a period of years to hire illegal immigrants.

Construction company owner Brad Tracy, who says he refuses to hire under the table, said it was almost impossible to compete against businesses that use illegal labor.

“I’ve got to pay workman’s comp, health insurance, fuel costs, property tax,” he said. “Then I’ve got to compete against people who say they have no employees, just contract labor at $10 an hour.”