Thread: Bush has a big plan for forcing reform.

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/2 ... 10364/1002


It seems Bush wants to hurt the corporations so they will hit Congress hard on immigration reform. That means that there is going to be a lot of money given, incentives ect to our Congressmen. We all know and Bush knows that they can be bought off.
We need a strategy to force this out into the open and to conquer Congress before Bush and the Corporations do.

Bush's immigration plan would hit employers hard

By Eunice Moscoso,
Cox News Service




Washington | The Bush administration on Friday announced a broad crackdown on illegal immigration, including increased fines or criminal prosecution for companies that hire illegal workers.

The rules drew heavy criticism from immigrant advocates, labor unions and business groups. But they were praised - albeit cautiously - by conservatives who have long advocated using existing laws to crack down on unlawful migrants.

Under the new rules, a company that ignores warning letters about employees with potentially fake Social Security numbers could be fined up to $10,000 per employee or face criminal prosecution.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said that the fines would increase by about another 25 percent and that the number of investigators would also go up.

"The magnet that brings most economic migrants into this country is work. And if we have work-site enforcement directed at illegal employment, we strike at that magnet," he said at a news conference.

President Bush said in a statement that the administration was acting after Congress failed this year to pass a White House- backed measure that would have given illegal immigrants a path to citizenship and created a guest worker program.

"Although the Congress has not addressed our broken immigration system by passing comprehensive reform legislation, my administration will continue to take every possible step to build upon the progress already made," he said.

Businesses, faced with having to fire thousands of workers under the new rules, are now likely to put more pressure on Congress to pass such reforms.

In a session with Spanish-speaking reporters after the news conference, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said he hoped the enforcement measures would convince people that broader immigration reform is necessary.

"There is no doubt that there are people suffering only because they want to work," Gutierrez said in a somber tone. "The only solution is to reform the law."

Gutierrez also said that in an effort to lesson the impact on businesses, the administration would streamline and improve temporary visa programs that allow foreign workers to come to the United States to work in agriculture and other seasonal jobs.

The new employer regulations - which go into effect in one month - allow a business 90 days to figure out why an employee's Social Security number does not match the government database. The reason could be a clerical error or a name change because of marriage. However, if legal status can't be confirmed, the employee must be fired.

"These guidelines will make it more difficult for illegal aliens to use a fraudulent Social Security number to get a job, and will help employers take appropriate action to protect themselves," Chertoff said.

Chertoff also announced that the Bush administration would eventually require government contractors to use an employment system that helps them verify whether an applicant or employee is in the United States legally.

He said it soon will include a feature to let an employer check photos on an employee's documents against 14 million images in Department of Homeland Security databases.

The system - previously known as Basic Pilot and now renamed "E-Verify" - is now voluntary. Requiring contractors to use it involves changing federal rules on contracting, which could take months, Chertoff said.

The administration also announced several border enforcement measures, including some that have been previously announced, such as a voluntary program to train hundreds of state and local police officers to enforce immigration law.

By the end of 2008, the administration said it would have 370 miles of fencing along the southern border, 300 miles of vehicle barriers, 105 camera and radar towers, and 18,300 Border Patrol agents.

The Department of Homeland Security also announced plans to reduce the number of documents acceptable for employees to confirm a worker's identity, and to expand the list of organized gangs from foreign countries to ensure their members are not allowed in the United States.

Stop whining and NO MORE AMNESTIES.

He isn't hurting the corporations - this is media hype meant to make you think something is being done to the corporations.

These workers are all going to be made legal in the twinkle of an eye.

If anyone punishes these corporations, it is going to have to be us - the consumers. If we hurry while we still have a little money and control over it.