Hard Times Ahead for Employers Hiring Undocumented Aliens
July 22, 2009 – 9:51 am
To avoid media glare and reduce the incidence of public outcry, the Obama administration appears to be changing its immigration enforcement strategies. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has changed the way it tackles illegal immigration and shifted its focus on employers. The present administration is cautious about its image and in many cases remaking or rescinding Bush administration policies. In February, the largest workplace raid took place when 28 undocumented aliens were arrested at an engine manufacturer in Bellingham, Washington. As John Morton, Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says, “the changes put heavier emphasis on employers, including more investigations of hiring records and fines for violations.” He further says, “we have to come to grips with the market for illegal labor” and “to get there, we have to move beyond individual cases.” Following the administration’s diktat, on July 1, ICE notified 652 businesses that it would inspect their hiring records to make sure they verified their workers’ legal status. There are other changes in the offing such as:
- Cracking down on businesses that do not fire workers whose Social Security numbers do not match government records;
- Making compulsory for federal contractors to use E-Verify; and
- Sanctioning authority to states and local law enforcement agencies to enforce immigration laws.
For complete information, please click Feds Shift Gears on Illegal Immigration
