Thread: DHS Unveils New Strategy

http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/16483.html

TCV News
DHS Unveils New Strategy for Fighting Illegal Alien Worker Hiring
July 27, 2006 07:33 PM EST


by Jim Kouri - WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday a new initiative and best business practices to help employers ensure they are building legal workforce through voluntary partnerships with the government.

Called the ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE), the program is designed to build cooperative relationships between government and businesses to strengthen hiring practices and reduce the unlawful employment of illegal aliens. The initiative also seeks to accomplish greater industry compliance and corporate due diligence through enhanced federal training and education of employers.

As the criminal prosecution of worksite violations has increased in recent years, DHS has been flooded by requests from employers seeking information on how to avoid hiring illegal aliens. IMAGE is a balanced and carefully designed partnership program that seeks to provide answers to these questions and help employers comply with the law.

“Any comprehensive strategy to stem the flow of illegal immigration must address the thousands of employers that hire illegal aliens both wittingly and unwittingly,” said DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff. “We have been bringing a growing number of criminal prosecutions against unscrupulous employers; however prosecutions are only part of the solution. If the government is going to fully address the problem of illegal alien employment, it must partner with employers, educate them and provide them with the tools they need to develop a stable, legal workforce.”

“Most employers want to comply with our nation's immigration laws. Yet, every day they are confronted with illegal aliens attempting to secure jobs through fraudulent means, including the presentation of counterfeit documents and stolen identities. Employers are not trained or obligated to be document detectives. Today, we are launching IMAGE to help employers deal with these situations and confidently develop a legal workforce,” said Julie Myers, Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Under this program, ICE will partner with companies representing a broad cross section of industries in order that these firms may serve as charter members of IMAGE and liaisons to the larger business community. As part of this program, businesses must also adhere to a series of best practices including the use of the Basic Pilot Employment Verification Program, administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). To date more than 10,000 employers across the United States are using the Basic Pilot Employment Verification to check the work authorization of their newly hired employees.

“New employers are signing up to use the Employment Verification Program every day,” said USCIS Director Emilio Gonzalez. “It's an indication that more and more employers are committed to making sound hiring decisions and in the process preventing unauthorized people from working in the United States.”






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This is a crock of it! Nothing has increased concerned with hiring illegals. Another smoke screen for the American people.