Thread: More Raids on Illegal Hires Expected

I'll believe it when I see it.

http://www.kpho.com/Global/story.asp?S=4798420&nav=23Ku


More Raids on Illegal Hirings Expected



PHOENIX (AP) -- If carried out on a large scale, the federal government's plan to intensify crackdowns on businesses that hire illegal immigrants could land an especially hard blow on Arizona, the state with the largest estimated percentage of illegal workers in its economy.

Immigration agents said Thursday that the stepped-up examinations of construction, agricultural, landscaping and service-industry businesses are aimed at deterring employers from turning to illegal hirings and lessening the economic incentive for immigrants to sneak across the border.

"I would say that Arizona would be clearly one of the more hard hit (states)," said Tom Rex, associate director of the Center for Business Research at Arizona State University.

The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that 10 percent of all workers in Arizona's economy are illegal immigrants, a figure that federal officials say is conservative.

The biggest ripple would be felt on the state's thriving tourism and construction industries, Rex said.

Still, opposition from businesses would prompt the government to back down on any large-scale crackdowns, as it has in the past, according to Rex.

The plans to intensify crackdowns on illegal hirings are part of a larger national effort to beef up immigration enforcement inside the country.

The announcement came a day after federal agents across the nation raided more than 40 sites of a pallet manufacturer. Thirty-five illegal immigrants who worked as laborers at the company's Phoenix location were arrested.

"We are going to force businesses to come into compliance," said Roberto G. Medina, special agent in charge of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office of investigations in Arizona.

Medina said he doubted the government would pull back on its crackdown if it felt a backlash from businesses. "My priorities are going to stay the same," Medina said. "I don't see them changing."

The intensified crackdowns will include spot checks of employment records at businesses, tips given to investigators and information passed along by other police agencies.

While fines for violations have been relatively minor in the past, the government will impose tougher financial penalties, Medina said.

Medina said businesses that make a good-faith effort to verify a worker's employment eligibility through the federal government won't likely face problems.

"The businesses that we are looking for are the ones that don't make that effort, that know that when they hire these people that they are actually illegal," Medina said.

Immigration analysts and many politicians have given the government poor marks for not cracking down on businesses that hire illegal immigrants.

After the 2001 terror attacks, the government's employment enforcement efforts centered primarily on work sites with implications for national security -- nuclear plants, military bases, airports, chemical plants.

While those types of investigations will continue, agents will put a renewed focus on a wider range of businesses, Medina said.

"We have always expected that the time was coming very soon when (the federal government) would begin greater enforcement," said Farrell Quinlan, spokesman for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Quinlan said the government's hiring rules place burdens on employers, such as making them scrutinize records presented by new employees to show employment eligibility at a time when forgeries abound.

The government allows too many records to be accepted from new employees, increasing the chances of getting fake documents, Quinlan said.

Anti-discrimination laws limit the way that they can question prospective employees, Quinlan said.

Patricia Schmidt, assistant special agent in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Phoenix, said the government will help businesses comply with employment rules, but that employers will have to use a critical eye when examining records.

"The fact they are not trained in recognizing fraudulent documents is not going to be a good faith excuse any longer," Schmidt said.

Originally Posted by concernedmother

I'll believe it when I see it.

http://www.kpho.com/Global/story.asp?S=4798420&nav=23Ku


More Raids on Illegal Hirings Expected



PHOENIX (AP) -- If carried out on a large scale, the federal government's plan to intensify crackdowns on businesses that hire illegal immigrants could land an especially hard blow on Arizona, the state with the largest estimated percentage of illegal workers in its economy.

Immigration agents said Thursday that the stepped-up examinations of construction, agricultural, landscaping and service-industry businesses are aimed at deterring employers from turning to illegal hirings and lessening the economic incentive for immigrants to sneak across the border.

"I would say that Arizona would be clearly one of the more hard hit (states)," said Tom Rex, associate director of the Center for Business Research at Arizona State University.

The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that 10 percent of all workers in Arizona's economy are illegal immigrants, a figure that federal officials say is conservative.

The biggest ripple would be felt on the state's thriving tourism and construction industries, Rex said.

Still, opposition from businesses would prompt the government to back down on any large-scale crackdowns, as it has in the past, according to Rex.

The plans to intensify crackdowns on illegal hirings are part of a larger national effort to beef up immigration enforcement inside the country.

The announcement came a day after federal agents across the nation raided more than 40 sites of a pallet manufacturer. Thirty-five illegal immigrants who worked as laborers at the company's Phoenix location were arrested.

"We are going to force businesses to come into compliance," said Roberto G. Medina, special agent in charge of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office of investigations in Arizona.

Medina said he doubted the government would pull back on its crackdown if it felt a backlash from businesses. "My priorities are going to stay the same," Medina said. "I don't see them changing."

The intensified crackdowns will include spot checks of employment records at businesses, tips given to investigators and information passed along by other police agencies.

While fines for violations have been relatively minor in the past, the government will impose tougher financial penalties, Medina said.

Medina said businesses that make a good-faith effort to verify a worker's employment eligibility through the federal government won't likely face problems.

"The businesses that we are looking for are the ones that don't make that effort, that know that when they hire these people that they are actually illegal," Medina said.

Immigration analysts and many politicians have given the government poor marks for not cracking down on businesses that hire illegal immigrants.

After the 2001 terror attacks, the government's employment enforcement efforts centered primarily on work sites with implications for national security -- nuclear plants, military bases, airports, chemical plants.

While those types of investigations will continue, agents will put a renewed focus on a wider range of businesses, Medina said.

"We have always expected that the time was coming very soon when (the federal government) would begin greater enforcement," said Farrell Quinlan, spokesman for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Quinlan said the government's hiring rules place burdens on employers, such as making them scrutinize records presented by new employees to show employment eligibility at a time when forgeries abound.

The government allows too many records to be accepted from new employees, increasing the chances of getting fake documents, Quinlan said.

Anti-discrimination laws limit the way that they can question prospective employees, Quinlan said.

Patricia Schmidt, assistant special agent in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Phoenix, said the government will help businesses comply with employment rules, but that employers will have to use a critical eye when examining records.

"The fact they are not trained in recognizing fraudulent documents is not going to be a good faith excuse any longer," Schmidt said.

All an "Illegal Alien" needs in NC is an Address. If they can`t come up with one,Burr will just ask them if they are alive and that`s it,Just like that,they are American.Or at least have the rights of an American,maybe they could even vote for "BURR" or "DOLE" .Pretty slick Huh!.I can hear the "Illegals" now;Boy those Americans are stupid!!