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October 17, 2005
Hearing gives employers hope for immigration reform
Kent Hoover
Washington Bureau Chief
Business groups that favor comprehensive immigration reform hope an Oct. 18 hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee will build momentum in their favor, at least in the Senate.

But they concede their chances of success are slim this year in the House, where many Republicans want to boost enforcement of immigration laws before considering proposals to allow more immigrants to work legally in the United States.

John Gay, vice chairman of the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition, says his group's top priorities are: Making it easier for employers to hire foreigners to fill jobs that can't be filled with Americans; and establishing a mechanism for undocumented workers who already are working in the United States to earn permanent legal status.

"The need for workers in the U.S. is growing, not shrinking," says Gay, who is also vice president of government relations for the International Franchise Association.

Business groups ranging from Associated Builders and Contractors to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce belong to the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition.

Labor unions are business groups' allies on this issue because undocumented workers "are prone to exploitation in the workplace," says Thomas Snyder, national political director of Unite Here!, a labor union representing 450,000 workers.

President Bush has proposed establishing a guest worker program, which would allow immigrants to work in the United States for a limited period. That won't be sufficient to meet employers' needs for workers, Gay says.

Plus many House Republicans say they'll oppose a guest worker program unless the government first steps up enforcement of immigration laws, including prosecuting more employers that hire undocumented workers.

"No serious effort to stem the flow of illegal aliens into the United States can take place without placing the elimination of the 'jobs magnet' at the top of the priority list," says Rep. John Hostettler, R-Ind., who chairs the House Judiciary Committee's immigration subcommittee.

Employers rarely are penalized for hiring illegal immigrants. Last year, only three employers were cited by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for failing to ensure their workers had proper documentation, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., has introduced legislation that would increase the fines for hiring undocumented workers from $10,000 to $50,000. His bill also authorizes the hiring of 10,000 ICE workers whose sole responsibility would be to enforce employer compliance with immigration laws.