Illegal Worker Enforcement Is a Growing Challenge

FOX ^ | 1-15-04 | N/A

[JustPiper]

The law says a business caught hiring illegal aliens (search) can be fined up to $10,000 -- which sounds tough, but the truth is that businesses have very little to worry about.

The General Accounting office estimates 200,000 business employees in the United States are illegal aliens. In 1992, more than 1,000 businesses were fined, but in 2002 that number dropped to 13 businesses.

[JustPiper]

Ping!

[Mike Darancette]

"With the myriad of documents that are out there, it's very difficult for an employer to tell what is valid and what isn't valid with respect to work authorization," she said.

When an employer turns in W-2 reports the employer must attest (ubder penalty) that the S/S numbers of all employees have been verified.

[Happy2BMe]

"In 2003, the Bush Administration spent $711 million to stop illegal aliens from crossing into the United States, in addition to the billions of dollars spent on fences, equipment and technology. But the administration spent less than $20 million trying to find illegals once they did get in."

A FReeper's Guide To Immigration Reform

"What remains to be seen is if this country has the capacity to accommodate, and assimilate, an unending wave of mass immigration ¯ because failure to do so will result in a balkanized, fragmented, strife-torn and dysfunctional America."

Federation for American Immigration Reform - FAIR

~ Take the FReeper Immigration Reform Poll ~

[Modernman]

"employers don't want to know."

I'd go even further- many employers know, they just don't care.

[hunter112]

What's verified mean? Squinting at a piece of paper that was produced on a cheap color printer? I know it sounds like a national identity card, but if we really want to get a handle on illegals, then we need to drop our resistance to really foolproof ID cards, with pictures and biometric information encoded on them. Random checks by immigration officials of the verity of the ID produced would go far to insure compliance.

Enforcement today is a joke.

[Mike Darancette]

What's verified mean?

Call the S/S and ask is XXX-XX-XXXX Jose Doe?

[Cardini]

I have had it with bush but who else can we vote for. When the repubs become liberals who do we turn to. There is the Constution party and the Libertarians but they do not stand a chance.
I cannot not vote, then I don't count. What to do?????

[hunter112]

You really think there's a number, or even a website that would let you do this? The potential for misuse through identity fraud would be tremendous. Right now, verification means that the employer selling out Americans certifies that they've seen some crappy piece of paper (whether they've seen it or not) that Jose Doe bought from some street vendor in Mexico. By the time the INS gets around to the employer, the crop is already harvested, and Jose, or whoever the hell he is, is down the road at some other farm.

People used the same thing on temporary jobs to keep from paying income taxes during the 1980's when I was a tax accountant. None of my clients did it, but I heard stories about workers claiming 99 exemptions, leaving their paychecks free of income tax withholding, and by the time the IRS told the employer to bust it back to "single, one exemption", the worker was already off the jobsite. The IRS figured out how to deal with this, why can't the INS?

[hunter112]

I cannot not vote, then I don't count. What to do?????

The only thing I can hold on to, is the idea that this is triangulation of the magnitude that Bill Clinton could only dream about. If this bill makes it to the Congress, and has Rats vote against it because it doesn't go far enough (check every single Rat presidential candidate's position on the Bush proposal). Then, only "safe" Republicans vote for it, Bush goes to the Hispanic community and tells them he tried. It's too dangerous a game to be played when the Congress is controlled by Rats, but when they are in the minority, its safer to play.

I'm not comfortable with the game, but its the way you get elected. Next time Estrada's name comes up, maybe it helps.

[JustPiper]

Enforcement today is a joke.

Bump!

[JustPiper]

Ping

[JustPiper]

We've had a movement underfoot for about a month (please see my homepage) Also check out many of our taglines!
We may not win, we're actually not out to do that. But by changing our party and/or writing-in the champion for our rights, Tom Tancredo all in the primary the middle of March, that is our first step to show them we can have our say!

[JustPiper]

BTW welcome aboard to FR

[LittleJoe]

They have to know when they are hiring illegals. They just don't want to turn them in because they are cheap labor.

No, they don't want to turn them in because they are the only labor.

I've hired illegals in the past. (Before I retired).
The Great Society took away our labor. Those American laborers of old are now collecting welfare and SSI.

[FITZ]

Really all they need to do is start going after the $10,000 for each illegal ----- treat it like tax fraud --- and get collection for all unpaid taxes, workman's comp and everything else the criminal employers didn't choose to pay in.

[LittleJoe]

Never happen. Politicians will not give up the cash cow the welfare system provides them.

If you really want to stop illegal immigration, put the able bodied back to work. There has been no welfare reform. Those who were on the welfare rolls have just been transferred to SSI. That is easy to see living in a rural area. The same people who have been on welfare all their lives are now collecting SSI. They were able bodied while collecting welfare and are still able bodied while they are now collecting SSI.

Get rid of the Great Society and you will solve most of our problems of today!

[Ben Ficklin]

The employer send that info into the govt every payday. It is the govt's responsibility to enforce the laws.