New federal push to fire illegal immigrants
Bob Egelko
Saturday, March 22, 2008

The Bush administration unveiled a revised rule Friday threatening businesses with prosecution unless they fire employees identified in government records as possible illegal immigrants, offering a new explanation but virtually no change in content from the regulation that a San Francisco federal judge blocked in October.

The Department of Homeland Security announced the new version of the so-called no-match rule on its Web site and said it would invite public comments for 30 days.

The department then plans to ask U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer to lift his injunction. At the same time, it has asked a federal appeals court to overturn the Oct. 10 decision by the judge, who found that unions and businesses had raised serious questions about the rule’s legality.

“The no-match rule is an important tool for cracking down on illegal hiring practices while providing honest employers with the guidance they need,â€