http://www.sierratimes.com/06/02/23/NumbersUSA.htm

Americans Need Jobs, Not Foreign Competition
Sierra Times

NumbersUSA Reminds President That Foreign Labor
Undercuts Economy and Public Confidence
WASHINGTON, DC -- NumbersUSA urges President Bush to recognize that large scale importing of foreign workers will depress wages and deny job opportunities for the most vulnerable Americans, destabilizing the overall economy. Polling has shown that Americans are most concerned about the economy and jobs, and the majority believes the economy is currently on the wrong track.

"As President Bush addresses the nation tonight, I hope he will remember the 14 million Americans who cannot find full-time jobs in the current economy." said Roy Beck, Executive Director of NumbersUSA. "It would be the height of callousness to advocate a massive foreign worker program to an economy already marked by stagnant wages in many sectors and by falling labor participation rates among several American demographic groups."

Both unskilled and skilled Americans would be hurt by the President's past immigration proposals to match willing workers from other countries with willing employers here in the United States. Severe outsourcing, uncontrolled illegal immigration and government-mandated immigration four times higher than the traditional average have worsened underemployment and wage stagnation among Americans on both ends of the employment spectrum.

"Recent news is filled with stories of the elimination of high-pay, high-benefits jobs and of the increase of lower-pay and lower-benefits jobs. The last thing that Americans and their economy need is a new flood of foreign workers that will accelerate all the worst tendencies in our present economy," said Beck.

Enforcement of our immigration laws is absolutely necessary to ensure Americans' economic and physical security and a successful struggle for living-wage jobs. Without full-scale efforts in mandatory workplace verification, implementation of the entry-exit system, and increased cooperation between state, local, and federal law enforcement officials, the rise in foreign workers will continue to undermine the economy and undermine the public's confidence in the Bush Administration's handling of it.

"Last year, the President vowed to protect our borders, and we saw progress on that promise when he supported the House of Representatives in December as it passed the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act. I am hopeful that his commitment to enforcement and border security will be evident when the President's budget comes out next week," said Beck. "This year - a pivotal election year - Americans will be watching to see if the President sees his promise through to fruition in addition to following the will of the American people who are concerned about the very real threat American workers face from foreign labor. The President should follow the lead of House Republicans and stand up to the Chamber of Commerce and its push to use immigrant labor to depress Americans' wages."