Thread: Immigration: Raid of this size raises questions

Immigration: Raid of this size raises questions
The Clarion-Ledger • August 28, 2008


Mississippi lawmakers who approved a huge incentives package in 2002 for Howard Industries to expand production must be looking in stunned disbelief at the news of a raid at the plant by immigration officials.



The largest single-workplace immigration raid in U.S. history at the Laurel transformer plant on Monday had agents rounding up nearly 600 plant workers suspected of being in the country illegally.

Many will recall a special 2002 session of the Legislature approved a $31.5 million incentive package for the plant.

Then-Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove was basking in lawmaker approval of a $68 million package for the Nissan plant at Canton to create 1,300 additional jobs to the 4,000 expected after the auto plant was set to be completed the following year.

But, then, some complained that home-grown industries weren't getting the same benefits, pushing Howard's expansion. Legislators were only too happy to oblige and gave taxpayer-funded incentives to create 2,000 jobs - about $15,000 per job.

Lawmakers may be looking more closely at the package's provisions now, if it is proven that Howard hired illegal workers.

With Nissan, lawmakers started requiring "claw-back" provisions in agreements between Mississippi and corporations receiving taxpayer funds.

Such agreements guarantee that should the company decide not to complete a plant or not open it after it is constructed or not operate it for the full 20 years of the agreement, Mississippi would be repaid.

The question now: Does that apply to companies that do not hire legal workers? If the purpose of such economic incentives is to provide jobs for citizens, what if those jobs are filled by illegal workers instead?

Howard has defended its hiring practices. In a prepared statement released Monday, the company stated: "Howard Industries runs every check allowed to ascertain the immigration status of all applicants for jobs. It is a company policy that it hires only U.S. citizens and legal immigrants."



Some of those rounded up have had to appear in federal court on charges of using false Social Security numbers and residency identification.

The Legislature, at the urging of Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, approved a new law to require businesses to use the controversial E-Verify system to help ensure employer compliance with immigration laws. The new law, which was opposed by many businesses and immigrant rights groups, took effect last month.

The question is if it will work or if businesses are weeding out or can effectively weed out illegal workers. A raid of this size points to the complex issues involved in immigration reform efforts. The most effective reforms would be to enforce existing laws.

With this many possible illegal workers at one plant, something is not working.


http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs. ... 08/OPINION

The Legislature, at the urging of Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, approved a new law to require businesses to use the controversial E-Verify system to help ensure employer compliance with immigration laws. The new law, which was opposed by many businesses and immigrant rights groups, took effect last month.

Why is it controversial, because it's FREE? Because it catches people who are not ETHICAL? Because you can catch ID theft? Because its 99.5% accurate. Ya, that's controversial, FOR AN UNETHICAL BUSINESS PERSON.

Howard Industries should be required to do jail time and be heavily fined.

An if they stay in business they should only be able to hire via the state unemployment office.

Assuming Howard is an American business so there should be no reason they do not do their utmost to know their employees are citizens or legally available to work for decent wages, especially since they have received taxpayer dollars for their business effort.
To be really nasty, these guys do not worship any God except the Almighty Dollar.

Originally Posted by Gogo

The Legislature, at the urging of Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, approved a new law to require businesses to use the controversial E-Verify system to help ensure employer compliance with immigration laws. The new law, which was opposed by many businesses and immigrant rights groups, took effect last month.

Why is it controversial, because it's FREE? Because it catches people who are not ETHICAL? Because you can catch ID theft? Because its 99.5% accurate. Ya, that's controversial, FOR AN UNETHICAL BUSINESS PERSON.

Its funny but I thought the same thing. why is this controversial? This should be a slam dunk. I cannot believe how far down our country has gone.

Originally Posted by LuvMyCountry

Originally Posted by Gogo

The Legislature, at the urging of Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, approved a new law to require businesses to use the controversial E-Verify system to help ensure employer compliance with immigration laws. The new law, which was opposed by many businesses and immigrant rights groups, took effect last month.

Why is it controversial, because it's FREE? Because it catches people who are not ETHICAL? Because you can catch ID theft? Because its 99.5% accurate. Ya, that's controversial, FOR AN UNETHICAL BUSINESS PERSON.

Its funny but I thought the same thing. why is this controversial? This should be a slam dunk. I cannot believe how far down our country has gone.

It depends on the authors position on illegal immigration doesn't it?

The most effective reforms would be to enforce existing laws.

Thats right. And to make E-Verify manatory.

The end of all these stories NEVER CHANGE! The companies did not know or plead ignorance that they had hired ILLEGALS ALIENS

and the ILLEGALS CAUGHT cry out for their ANCHOR BABY FAMILIES and say the company was an unsafe or unfit place to work with the work environment and harrassment...............

Why do we need an Anchor Baby Law if these children are LEGAL CITIZENS?

They aren't legal go read and re-read the 14th Amendment.

Why do you think there is doubt? Parent did not have permission to be, here!

Soil does not counter being ILLEGAL. There is a positive (being born on American soil) and a negative (parent being illegal), which counts the most or do they cancel each other out. Not being determined does not make a person an American Citizens.

Legal and on the soil giving birth is fine.

But illegal and on the soil giving birth is not fine.

$$$$$$$$$Start over America; Start over!$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Make the 14th Amendment vividly clear.

Employers and Landlords must be punished; jail time and fines; and loss of business forever. ( Post on banning renting to illegals: http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-130012.html)

Required E-Verify through the State's Umemployment Offices.

Pay American Citizens for reporting illegal criminal aliens.

Put the military on the borders or military bases along the borders.

I guess nobody read my previous post on how eVerify can actually be used to cheat the system if its not improved. All the computers in the world cannot dissuade a single employer to stop using illegals because the profit margin is huge. The only thing that will stop corporations like Howard Industries from doing this over and over again is prison time for the companies top executives. PERIOD.