Another View: Illegal immigration penalties apply to employers

March 12, 2008

An editorial from The Tennessean, Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Throughout the debate over illegal immigration, one of the most predictable ramifications of the issue has been that get-tough tactics would eventually result in real-world problems for communities.

Middle Tennessee has begun to see its share of upheaval with recent immigration raids, and recently announced plans by the Bush administration to increase fines on employers of illegal workers portend even more difficulties throughout the country. The rhetoric on illegal immigration has usually dealt in simplistic concepts, like saying all illegal immigrants should be rounded up and sent home, simple as that. But it’s not so simple.

The administration recently said that it plans to increase fines dramatically for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. The fines, due to take effect March 27, would increase the minimum penalty from $100 to $375, on a per-person basis. The maximum fine would go from $1,000 to $3,200. If there were a large number of illegal immigrants under an employer, those fines could mount quickly.

The Department of Homeland Security has made it clear it is ready to concentrate on executives of companies in addition to arresting workers who are illegal immigrants. Crackdowns have the potential of significantly disrupting business. In some cases, where a business plays a major role in a local economy, a crackdown on illegal immigration can have a noticeable impact on the community. The loss not only affects the specific business involved, it affects the businesses used by the families of those workers. It disrupts housing. It takes children out of schools. Communities are having to confront the fact that they have allowed illegal immigration to become part of their economy. Right or wrong, tough action against illegal immigration has its consequences.

Congress has failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform. The nation should find a way to acknowledge the impact made by immigration and find a way to create a path to citizenship for those who are already here and are part of the economic fabric. In the absence of federal legislation, states are beginning to step in on their own. A Tennessee law went into effect Jan. 1 that allows local, state and other public officials to report to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development employers believed to have knowingly hired illegal immigrants. Three complaints were recently confirmed as being filed under that statute, and the allegations will be investigated. Violators can put their licenses in jeopardy.

Recent reports showed that when new immigration laws went into effect in Oklahoma and Arizona, school enrollments declined, the number of construction workers declined and homes and apartments being rented were vacated.

The crackdown on businesses has always been one of the most intriguing points of the immigration discussion. Business interests tend to carry a lot of weight on lawmaking. There has been a degree of silence about the business impact of tougher immigration laws. Most of the focus of the outcry has been against the immigrants alone. But many businesses have given the issue a wink and a nod, preying on the opportunity to hire laborers among the immigrants.

The best solutions remain the same. Illegal immigrants should be held accountable for their action. They should face penalties and go to the back of the line for legal immigration. A path to citizenship should be provided.

But the idea of sending illegal immigrants packing, with the assumption it would leave everything rosy when they’re gone, doesn’t hold up. If nothing else, crackdowns are showing that the immigrants are not the only ones breaking laws.

-- Gannett News Service


http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pb ... 11036/1048