Thread: Immigration, Unreformed Crisis resists easy answers

Immigration, Unreformed
Crisis resists easy answers
Monday, July 14, 2008
Months after Congress failed to pass a comprehensive immigration bill, the illegal immigration crisis hasn't gone away. It's just splintered into a thousand pieces many of them with sharp edges.

No one even knows how many illegal immigrants are living and working in the United States today. A voluntary federal system to check working papers called E-Verify is riddled with errors, employers say. Meanwhile, anti-discrimination laws limit access to the records of new job applicants, not to mention workers on the job.

For years, employers had little incentive to check. And the system worked, sort of. Businesses got their low-wage workers while consumers benefited from the results. Then illegal immigration became a political hot potato, spurred by the seemingly uncontrolled influx of illegals, security and economic jitters, a perception that the illegals were stealing jobs and draining services, and other factors.

President Bush gamely led an immigration reform effort last year, aiming to stem the flow of new illegals, mostly from south of the border, and bring undocumented workers and their families out of the shadows and provide them with a path toward legal status. That effort collapsed amid a nationwide backlash against illegal immigrants that bordered on xenophobia.

The result has been a pullback from a comprehensive approach, replaced by bits and pieces that include the unrealistic strategy of a border fence. Federal authorities also have stepped up raids on employers, with 4,940 workplace arrests reported last year. On the state level, at least 175 bills were introduced across the country this year to deal with undocumented workers. A new Mississippi law makes it a felony for an illegal immigrant to hold a job. Measures in Arizona, Missouri, Virginia and elsewhere revoke the business licenses of employers. Several states threaten fines and imprisonment for employers.

But business is fighting back. Some legislation has been deflected by employer groups alarmed at the potential impacts on their companies and the economy. In Arizona, businesses this year promoted a bill that would have set up the first state-run "guest worker" program.

Employers across the country tell of the difficulty of finding low-wage or assembly-line workers and the fallout from crackdowns. "I can't replace those people," a California company executive complained. "That's going to jeopardize 100 other jobs." In Central New York, one employer recently told of his success with seasonal immigrant workers over the years though he couldn't always vouch for the accuracy of their papers.

As state and federal crackdowns and complaints from employers proliferate, policymakers and consumers will have to face the reality that fixing the problem of illegal immigration is not a matter of slogans or piecemeal solutions.

© 2008 The Post-Standard. Used with permission.



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A voluntary federal system to check working papers called E-Verify is riddled with errors, employers say.

I wish the MSM would stop repeating this obvious canard.

Months after Congress failed to pass a comprehensive immigration bill, the illegal immigration crisis hasn't gone away. It's just splintered into a thousand pieces many of them with sharp edges.

I would like an article that states "Months after Congress failed to allocate funds to enforce immigration laws" cities and states upon the request of U.S. Citizens......... The citizens have DEMANDED and Congress LISTENED that when congress passes laws they are enforced & funded. Maybe it should say on the Nov. ballot will be vote to "Charge ALL who help illegal aliens will be held criminally liable. That includes benefits that belong to U.S. Citizens. All federal funds will be withheld from states who do confirm within 30 days of elections. This will give all illegal aliens to remove themselves within the 30 days. IF not then you will forfeit all material goods, background checks will be run and ANY AND ALL social services you received will be required to be repaid. Yes you will be required to meet at your expense the person you have been portraying and pay all expenses they have paid to fix their credit. Maybe $5,000 fine for Identify theft. Yes this will keep you from coming into our country again. You paid to get here, now you can pay to get out.

For years, employers had little incentive to check. And the system worked, sort of. Businesses got their low-wage workers while consumers benefited from the results. Then illegal immigration became a political hot potato, spurred by the seemingly uncontrolled influx of illegals, security and economic jitters, a perception that the illegals were stealing jobs and draining services, and other factors.

Consumers have NOT benefited from this so called "cheap labor" The only ones who have benefited are the employers, illegal aliens AND their "advocates". It's not cheap labor when these illegal aliens keep on overbreeding and get welfare for each anchor. The only ones who are hurt are taxpaying US citizens and legal immigrants.

There is no perception problem, it's a hard, cold fact that illegal aliens ARE stealing jobs and draining services to such an extent it's hurting Americans.

A temp migrant program would work well, as long as the EMPLOYERS support them financially and we don't have to. NO need to bring your wife/girlfriend/flavor of the month or kids for a temp stay. NO MORE anchor babies and welfare! Bring in the temps on H2A's and deport ALL illegal aliens NOW!