Thread: Red Bluff CA: Alien issue 'a disaster'

Alien issue 'a disaster'

No-match SS threatens business
By KAREN McINTYRE-DN Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 10/04/2007 08:27:52 AM PDT


RED BLUFF - Business owners and educators met Tuesday night to discuss a legal immigration issue that affects 140,000 employers and some 8 million workers in the U.S.

A federal judge has temporarily stopped the Department of Homeland Security's new Social Security number "no-match" letters from being mailed.

No-match letters are sent to employers when the Social Security Administration finds that an employee's name and Social Security number submitted by an employer to the SSA does not match SSA records.

When employers receive these letters, they have 93 days to prove the employee's identity and work authorization. If they cannot verify the worker's status, they should fire the employee or face possible fines of $2,100 per worker. A judge will rule Oct. 10 whether or not no-match letters can again be mailed.

"If this law was implemented, it would be a disaster to the businesses," Mark Silverman from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center said at an event Tuesday hosted by the North Valley Sponsoring Committee, a faith-based organization.

Silverman spoke about the impact to employers, workers and the economy should no-match letters resume.

Illegal immigrants and business owners share common ground, as the discontinuation of no-match letters would benefit both parties.

The issue is especially important to Tehama County because it is home to many farmworkers, and 70 percent of U.S. farmworkers are undocumented immigrants.

However, Silverman said, business owners should not immediately fire employees, and undocumented workers should not quit their jobs.

Even if the judge removes the order against the government and no-match letters were sent, the 93-day cushion means that employers would not face possible fines until at least January.

No matter what happens with the no-match ordeal, Silverman looked at the bigger immigration issue. There are 2,000 miles of Mexico border between the U.S. and the undeveloped world, and immigration laws need to accommodate the inevitable future flow of illegal aliens, he said.

One bill that would benefit both aliens and businesses is AgJOBS, which would enable labor workers to get temporary legal status to come to the U.S. and work. Those who continued working could get permanent legal status. AgJOBS would "give workers a road to becoming legal residents," he said.

Another piece of bipartisan legislation is the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act.

Children who were brought to the U.S., went to school here and graduated can't get jobs because they are illegal. The DREAM Act says that legal status would be granted to immigrant children who came to the U.S. at least five years ago before they were 16, graduated high school, completed two years of college or the armed services and demonstrate good moral character.

If no-match letters are mailed and AgJOBS and the DREAM Act aren't passed, the country will face labor shortages in the future, Silverman said. Employers need workers, and workers need jobs, but the system gets in the way, he added.

Staff writer Karen McIntyre can be reached at 527-2153, extension 109 or kmcintyre@redbluffdailynews.com

http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/ci_7082490

This is exactly the problem. There's always an excuse why we should enforce our laws. It always goes back to enforcement first. If we have temporary workers, that's what they should be TEMPORARY just like the old Bracero program. They worked and went home. We could do that again easily. They would have background checks. Given a TEMPORARY work permit with a date of expiration. If they stay their deported and can't come back to work for at least 10 years.