Dairy state encourages illegal immigration despite ties to identity theft
November 19, 4:14 PM
Identity Theft Examiner
Joe Campana


Overhearing an ABC Nightline Show a couple of years ago, I listened about a state that was encouraging illegal immigration to fill a need for cheap and reliable dairy labor. What I heard caught my attention, so I took a seat in front of the tube to watch "A Different Side of the Illegal Immigration Debate" a story about Wisconsin and its dairy industry. My interest in the news story was its relation to growing incidences of identity theft.

In 2008, identity theft increased nearly 30% in Wisconsin compared to 2007. Nationally, id theft grew 21% in the same period. Identity theft involving employment fraud increased 25% in Wisconsin, and more startling government benefits and document fraud increased over 100% in the same period.
A current investigative news article, " Immigrants change face of Wisconsin dairy industry," describes the opportunities for both legal and illegal immigrants given the plight of Wisconsin's dairy industry. According to the article, there are approximately 5,000 immigrant dairy workers in Wisconsin, and government surveys suggest that at least half of immigrant workers are illegal or as the article calls them, "undocumented."

The article describes the life and illegal status of a Mexican family in search of a better life. The article reports that the immigrants purchased forged identification and stolen Social Security numbers for $400 each. And like the June 2007 ABC Nightline show, "identity theft" is not mentioned in the report.

The article seems to portray the immigrants as victims. However, the article says nothing of the invisible victims--millions of Americans that are victimized each year through identity theft that is linked to illegal immigration. To make things worse state and local government encourages illegal immigration and turns their heads away from identity theft and associated crimes of forgery and fraud. Another investigative report revealed how Wisconsin local governments facilitate identity theft by providing anyone Internet access to Social Security numbers printed on digitized public documents such as mortgages and tax liens.

It may be a reality and necessity that illegal immigrants fill the employment void in the U.S. But does filling jobs that most Americans are unwilling to do, justify identity theft and concomitant victimization of innocent Americans?

To obtain employment in the U.S., many of the illegal immigrants use fake Social Security cards containing the Social Security numbers and other identifying information that belong to legal American citizens. Illegal immigration presents a challenge. A solution is needed that doesn't facilitate and encourage identity theft and fraud, especially when that fraud affects millions of innocent people.

An illegal immigrant may enter the country through a border entry point by using fake documents purchased before entering the U.S. Those illegal immigrants that are smuggled into the U.S., enter our borders without documentation or whose legal work visas expire while they are in the U.S. may purchase forged picture identification and Social Security Cards on the street typically for $300-$400. While some of the Social Security numbers purchased are made up or synthsized, many also correspond to real people like you and me.

The Social Security number identification is used to obtain employment. Most employers can't tell the difference between a forged Social Security Card and a real one. Can you spot the telltale giveaway that the Social Security Card shown is a fake?

Once employed, employers report the illegal worker's earnings to local, state and federal governments including tax authorities and the Social Security Administration. These tax and benefits records are tied to the legal person to whom the Social Security number rightfully belongs. Sometimes the same Social Security number is sold again and again on the street. The victim of this identity theft is left to untangle tax and benefits complications caused by one or multiple persons using his or her Social Security number.

Audra Schmierer's Social Security number was used by at least 81 people in 17 states. Most of them were illegal immigrants trying to get work. It took Schmierer several months to clear up a problem with the IRS after claiming she owed taxes on tens of thousands of dollars of unreported income. Her story, reported by many media outlets, illustrates the complexity of untangling identity theft victimization including physical, financial and emotional hardships that victms face. Schmierer's battle with identity theft is likely to last a lifetime.

Once an illegal immigrant or other criminal has a new identity, they can use that identity to obtain a broad range of identification, government benefits, financial services and privileges reserved for legal persons. For example, fake identification can be used to obtain government identification such as a driver's license or passport.. Bank accounts, loans, mortgages, new credit cards, housing, utilities, insurance and medical treatments can be obtained. Every one of these services link back to the legal person through their Social Security number and the fraud can negatively affect multiple aspects of a person's daily living routine.

A victim's identity theft is exacerbated when things go wrong for the impostor or when the impostor knowingly does wrong. For example, the impostor is charged with DUI or gets arrested for other crimes, the impostor doesn't pay his or her bills, the impostor draws local public assistance benefits, or the impostor get medical treatments for chronic illnesses. Any of these link back to the legal person's Social Security number.

Illegal immigration fuels identity theft and victimization of millions of legal and innocent Americans every year. If industries so desperately need illegal immigrants to fill jobs that legal Americans won't do, then our government must come up with solutions that do not involve the proliferation of identity theft.

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