Poor babies:Immigration Crackdown Worries Employers
Aug 10, 2007
By JULIANA BARBASSA
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Employers who have unlawfully hired illegal aliens said Friday that they could be driven out of business by the Bush administration's plans to crack down on workers whose Social Security numbers do not match their names, and businesses that hire them.
Administration officials said the stepped-up enforcement would begin in 30 days.
U.S. farmers estimate that at least half the nation's 1 million farm workers do not have valid Social Security numbers.
Other businesses that count on large numbers of illegal workers include construction, meat packing, landscaping companies, and hotels and restaurants.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said they were forced to beef up enforcement of existing laws after Congress failed to pass a comprehensive immigration-reform bill.
"We're going as far as we possibly can without Congress acting," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
Among other things, employers will now be required to fire employees who are unable to clear up problems with their Social Security numbers within 90 days after being notified. Employers who fail to comply could face criminal penalties.
Gutierrez said the Labor Department will try to make existing temporary worker programs easier to use and more efficient.
Chertoff also said he will try to use the department's regulatory authority to raise fines on employers by about 25 percent. Current fines are so modest that some companies consider them a cost of doing business, the agency said.
Illegal immigrants often give fraudulent documents when applying for jobs.
Business operators with large numbers of illegal immigrant employees are wondering how to bring their work force into compliance without interrupting production.
"Employers want to obey the law," said Mike Stuart, president of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, which represents more than 200 farmers.
Conservative groups lauded the move, saying it would be welcomed by a population tired of watching illegal immigrants and their employers go unchallenged.
"We wish they had done this earlier, but even at this late stage they have an opportunity to regain the confidence and support of the American public," said Dan Stein, president of Federation for American Immigration Reform.
But unions representing illegal immigrant-heavy work forces reacted with anger, including the Service Employees International Union, with 1.9 million members in security and janitorial jobs, and nursing homes and home care.
Eliseo Medina, the union's executive vice president, said the Bush administration was trying to score cheap political points after failing to win support for comprehensive immigration reform. |
