Thread: SMITH: Give immigration enforcement a try

SMITH: Give immigration enforcement a try
When laws are administered, jobs open for unemployed Americans

By Rep. Lamar Smith
April 13,2011

Critics of immigration enforcement often claim our immigration system is broken and that enforcement of immigration laws will not solve this problem. But this argument is flawed because we have never tried to fully enforce our immigration laws. Critics embrace the legalization of millions of illegal immigrants, a so-called solution that has been tried in the past and failed.

We have the means at our disposal to stem illegal immigration, but the Obama administration is going in the wrong direction.

For example, state and local governments can partner with the federal government through the 287(g) program to assist in the enforcement of immigration laws, yet the administration has weakened this successful program.

Work-site enforcement activities, which open up jobs for American workers and legal immigrants, have dropped by 70 percent under the Obama administration.

And E-Verify, a Web-based system that enables employers to verify the work eligibility of newly hired employees, remains voluntary. Expanding E-Verify and encouraging more businesses to use the program is an important step toward protecting jobs for American workers and eliminating the jobs magnet that draws millions of illegal workers to the United States.

Because our immigration laws are not fully enforced, millions of illegal immigrants are enticed to enter the United States each year because they know they are unlikely to be caught and sent home. Illegal immigration costs taxpayers billions of dollars each year, forces Americans to compete with illegal immigrants for scarce jobs and drives down wages for legal workers.

Because we’ve never fully enforced our immigration laws across the United States, why not try? The facts show that when immigration laws are enforced, illegal immigrants leave on their own and wages go up for Americans and legal workers. In states that have passed tough new laws cracking down on the employment of illegal immigrants, the illegal immigrant population has declined.

Take Arizona, for example. In 2007, the Legal Workers Act was signed into law, requiring all employers to use E-Verify. Arizona’s illegal immigrant population then dramatically shrank. In fact, Arizona’s population of illegal immigrants of working age fell by about 17 percent.

Recently, local law enforcement officials in Phoenix conducted work-site enforcement activities at several Pei Wei restaurants and found the restaurants had employed many illegal immigrants, including dishwashers.

A local TV news report followed up afterward and found that hundreds of unemployed American workers lined up to interview for those jobs, including the dishwashing jobs that some claim Americans won’t do.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/201 ... medium=RSS

If the American Public (Legal Citizens) keep up thepressure ont he Republicans to move forward on new and tougher immigration laws, the closing of the border with troops, and streamlining the judicial service to speed up deportations, then yes the immigration system will work. As long as the current administration tries to hamstring all efforts to remove illegals and not upset La Raza, we will see only state action making dents in the illegals within our borders. Remove Obama and any of his sheep who are favoring Amnesty and Dream Acts. Keep the pressure ont he illegals,

I am actually getting kind of tired of Lamar Smith. All he does Is talk,talk,talk .... It's time to walk the walk We need less talking and more action on Illegal Immigration enforcement. Just what exactly have the Republicans done on this Issue since they gained the majority In the house How come none of them are complaining about the double standard of the Obama administration with regard to the bill passed In Arizona (enforcement) and the bill passed In Utah (amnesty) but not challenged In court

"GEORGIA IS ALWAYS ON MY MIND!"

Oh! yeah! Herman Cain took 61% of the Tea Party straw poll at todays rally in Texas!