Employing illegal workers hurts Americans

Published: Thursday, December 24, 2009 10:35 AM EST

Dear Editor, The arguments over enforcement of our immigration laws have, for the most part, been targeted towards our Southern borders. Unfortunately, the other border illegal immigrants easily cross is the employment office.

One example that hits close to home is the construction of the new Duval County Courthouse in Jacksonville. This is a project funded by taxpayers' money. It was disclosed recently that Turner Construction, who is the general contractor, was subcontracting work to contractors who employ undocumented workers, roughly 100 total.

I am a retired union pipefitter who has worked all over the country for the past 34 years. I've seen firsthand how this issue has impacted the construction industry, and not in a positive way. Those employers who hire undocumented workers can under-bid legitimate contractors because they pay their workers substantially less, work them longer hours and pay no benefit package.

If anyone has traveled along Route 40 in Kingsland/St. Marys, they may have noticed a project going on, which will be Brant Creek Apartments. I have been watching this job closely since groundbreaking. It seems to be a fast track job with workers working days, nights and weekends. One thing that peaked my interest is the overwhelming presence of Hispanic workers. The general contractor is Florida based, and most of the subcontractors are also from out of state or out of Camden County. It seems strange to me, in light of our current economic situation, and high rate of unemployment, especially in the construction industry, that there are very few non-Hispanic workers on this job site. I have spoken to officials at the Department of Labor and St. Marys City Hall. They tell me that they are aware of the situation, but have no authority to verify the legal status of the workers on this project. As individuals, we are pretty much powerless to disclose whether a worker is legal or not. We don't have access to certified payroll records, Social Security numbers, names, etc., and the contractors are under no obligation to divulge that information to us.

Collectively, the citizens of Camden County can make a difference. I urge everyone to contact St. Marys City Hall, and the Atlanta Office of ICE (worksite enforcement unit) at (404) 893-1210.

Worksite Enforcement is the key to controlling the flow of illegal immigration. As it stands, working here illegally is an infraction. Employing those working here illegally is a crime punishable by jail and a stiff fine.

I am not implying that there are undocumented workers at this site, and I'm hoping there are not any, but as a community I think we're entitled to know.

Be American, buy American, build American.

John Connor

Kingsland

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