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  1. #1
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    How does an illegal alien get a job in South Carolina?

    Immigration reform bill should be brought to House floor for a vote
    By MARK THIES, and TEELA ROCHE
    Published May 16, 2007



    How does an illegal alien get a job in South Carolina? Simple. He fills out what's called an I-9 form, with name, address, Social Security number, date of birth and signature attesting that he has a legal right to work in the country.

    And we take his word for it.

    The employer looks at the employee's driver's license and Social Security card and "must … accept them if they reasonably appear to be genuine …" (so says U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services). Then the employer merely puts the I-9 form in a file at his business. Incredibly, nothing is ever checked or verified with the federal government regarding the employee's identity. Thus, by following this lax but legal procedure, an employer may well have just unknowingly hired an illegal alien.

    It's shameful to think that six years after 9/11, the above procedure is all that is required of private employers to verify an employee's legal status. It also explains why the three illegal aliens charged in the Fort Dix terror plot on May 8 had no problems working in the United States for the past several years. It's why the illegal alien population has doubled with the White House's laissez faire attitude. And it also explains why it's imperative that the South Carolina House pass S. 392, the Illegal Immigration Reform Act, this legislative session.

    This bill would make those who do business with state and local governments check the legal status of individuals they hire - and subcontractors as well - through an existing federal program called Basic Pilot, which allows employers to verify Social Security numbers and legal status online. It's a simple, easy check that costs nothing.

    Things were looking good for immigration reform when S. 392 sailed through the South Carolina Senate and moved to the House a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, on May 8, two obstructionists, Rep. Gloria Haskins (R-Greenville) and Rep. Murrell Smith Jr. (R-Sumter-Clarendon) blocked "unanimous consent to recall" votes in the South Carolina House on two excellent immigration reform bills, H. 3148 and S. 392, temporarily stalling progress.

    It seems that Rep. Haskins, a legal immigrant from Colombia, can't tell the difference between legal and illegal immigration! Enough obstructionism. We have a serious problem, and we need to address it.

    It's important to note that the Immigration Reform Act isn't the outlandish piece of legislation that the self-serving South Carolina Chamber of Commerce would have us believe. Georgia passed a bill similar to, if not tougher than, S. 392 last year, and it goes into effect this July. More recently, Colorado and Oklahoma have passed similar legislation. No, this bill is a small but eminently reasonable step in bringing back the rule of law in South Carolina. The lobbyists for the cheap labor interests are already using scare tactics, saying states and counties that pass such legislation will be sued, but S. 392 was constructed with advice of constitutional lawyers in Washington before it was introduced and should fare well.

    Employers of illegal aliens and their lobbyists in Washington (and Columbia) are trying to create a self-fulfilling prophecy of artificial need by flooding the labor market with massive numbers of illegal workers (to drive down wages), then turning around and telling us "Americans won't do these jobs." But they aren't fooling anyone. South Carolinians will do these jobs - they always have.

    Agricultural interests often complain the loudest, but they rarely mention the federal H-2A program, which allows them to hire an unlimited - yes unlimited - number of temporary guest workers. Yes, there is paperwork involved and regulations related to decent wages and housing, but shouldn't these workers, who have been exploited so often in the past, have a right to decent working conditions?

    Immigration reform isn't going away here in South Carolina or anywhere else. It's time for scofflaw employers to learn how to run their businesses legally - and to quit depending on the "heroin" fix of illegal immigration. The vast majority of South Carolinians want immigration law enforced, and they are sick and tired of the inaction, both in Congress and in the state. If Rep. James Harrison (R-Columbia), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, can't get the bill out of committee, then we call on our speaker of the House, Rep. Bobby Harrell (R-Charleston), to pull S. 392 out of committee and bring it to the floor of the House. We are confident that if all of the members who were elected to represent the people of South Carolina are allowed to vote, the will of the people shall be heard.

    Mark Thies and Teela Roche are co-directors of South Carolinians for Immigration Moderation (SCIM911@yahoo.com). Thies is an engineering professor who does research on alternative energy, and Roche is an information resource consultant. Both are at Clemson University.
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  2. #2
    Senior Member blkkat99's Avatar
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    It is time that the Social Security start taking some responsibility!
    They should be very meticulous in their record keeping to make sure SS#'s are not being duplicated, numbers of the deceased are not being used, and numbers for children are not being used.
    Every employer should be made to run every number that comes thru on an application NO EXCEPTIONS!
    I know this makes to much sense , so it probaby won't happen!

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