A Battle Against Illegal Workers, With an Unlikely Driving Force

NY Times ^ | 5/30/05 | Timothy Egan

[Crackingham]

To hear people who call into Idaho's leading conservative talk radio station, Robert Vasquez is a hero: one of the few politicians to tell it straight. Mr. Vasquez, a Republican county commissioner and Mexican-American in a region where Latinos are ascendant, has been on a crusade against illegal immigration, what he calls "an imminent invasion" from south of the border.

Mr. Vasquez has tried to have Canyon County declared a disaster area because of the strain from illegal immigrants. He has also sent a bill to the Mexican government for more than $2 million; that is the cost, he said, of Mexicans who are in the county illegally. Mr. Vasquez says the newcomers overwhelm public services, bring gang violence and drugs, spread diseases like tuberculosis and insist on rights that should not be granted to noncitizens.

His latest salvo, a plan to sue employers who hire illegal immigrants, has angered the solidly Republican business community and many of the senior political leaders in this heavily Republican state. The plan would make Canyon County the only local government in the country to use federal racketeering statutes against people who employ illegal immigrants, said Howard Foster, a lawyer advising the county.

Vasquez has forced a fight on an issue that poses difficulties for Republicans, pitting people and business owners who rely on illegal immigrants for labor against people who see them as a threat to jobs and security. The struggle here is contained to Canyon County, west of Boise with a population of 151,000. But it is part of a broader clash taking place across the country in the Republican Party; President Bush is pushing a guest worker program for illegal immigrants, while other Republicans are supporting private efforts to patrol the border and calling for additional muscle to seal it off.

[blackie]

Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!

Be Ever Vigilant!

Minutemen Patriots ~ Bump!

[DumpsterDiver]

ping

[upchuck]

Vasquez has forced a fight on an issue that poses difficulties for Republicans, pitting people and business owners who rely on illegal immigrants for labor against people who see them as a threat to jobs and security.

Right on, Mr. Vasquez.

Speaking as a former business owner, if you plan your business model around the need to "rely on illegal criminal immigrants for labor" then you have no one but yourself to blame. Who in the he11 would bet their business on a criminal enterprise?

I wish him much success in using the federal racketeering statutes against these stupid people.

[monkeywrench]

"if you plan your business model around the need to "rely on illegal criminal immigrants subsidies for labor..."

Just a slight correction.

[Mears]

Good for Mr Vasquez! For God's sake someone has to do something.

I'm a smoker and a life long,tax-paying resident of the USA----if I light a cigarette in any restaurant in Massachusetts all hell would break loose.

Couldn't just SOME of the energy spent on anti-smoking be put into the problem with illegals?

I have become a pariah in my own state,yet there illegals all over the place,including Massachusetts, being treated like royalty.

I just don't get it!

[truthkeeper]

Good for him. BUMP

[sinanju]

The single most effective move is undoubtedly enforcing the laws on employers. If the illegals can't find work they will leave of their own accord. I have read plenty of opinions that held prices for produce, construction work, restaurant meals, etc. would go up only slightly if the illegals were run off.

A country that relies of serf labor comes to depend on low-output, low-profit, industries that lead to economic stagnation re: the impoverished American South under the twin demons of Jim Crow and King Cotton.

[doc30]

That is a great idea. Use RICO to go after businesses that hire illegals. If anyone is interested, private parties may also bring RICO charges. Maybe someone with the talent and organization skills can start a Minuteman like project that sues businesses under RICO. If the government won't take action, maybe the private sector can.

[Iscool]

Like Democrats, Republicans show up in different stripes, flavors, colors, etc...

This group of globalist, pro-big business Republicans is probably the worst group of politicians ever to latch on to this Republic...

[dljordan]

" Who in the he11 would bet their business on a criminal enterprise?"

Tyson, Cargill?

[rodguy911]

Excellent post.
Where the hell are our priorities as a nation! Like you said if all the effort we put into feel-good easy-to-get legislation was put into stopping the illegals we would not have a problem.

[LostInBayport]

"Couldn't just SOME of the energy spent on anti-smoking be put into the problem with illegals?

I have become a pariah in my own state,yet there illegals all over the place,including Massachusetts, being treated like royalty.

I just don't get it! "

How can you complain about such trivialties as illegal immigration, when there are much more serious problems in Massachusetts like public smoking (gasps of horror from the crowd at the mere mention)!

And there are vital issues such as in Brookline, which just passed a referendum (non-binding) stating that parents shouldn't spank their kids.

And you want officials to waste time on illegal immigration when there is the chance someone might light up a Lucky Strike or spank their brat so people can shop in peace? Clearly you have your head OUT of the sand, and that is why you are a pariah in Massachusetts. See you at the next club meeting.

[winner3000]

It was only a matter of time before the NY Times writes about this issue as it splits the Republican coalition. While I still like the issue to be brought up, those guys at the Times are so predictable.

That said, it's going to be very hard, but not impossible for conservatives to be against illegal immigration and pro-hispanic. We do need some major PR for that balance to be achieved or we'll be creamed in the next election.

[atomic_dog]

I've been thinking that the way to get this done would be to make employing illegal aliens an "unfair business practice" and allow competitors to sue for damages.

Let's say you run a restaurant and do not employ illegals but the cafe down the street has illegal cooks and dishwashers. This lowers his cost of doing business and allows him to undercut you, the business that follows the law. So you sue him for unfair business practice, he loses and you get his restaurant. I guarantee you that this would only have to happen a few times and you would see great changes afoot.

This would also have the added benefit of giving all those lawyers filing "drive by" ADA lawsuits a new field of endeavor that actually benefits society.

[OKIEDOC]

I agree, Good for Mr Vasquez.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

The single most effective move is undoubtedly enforcing the laws on employers. If the illegals can't find work they will leave of their own accord.

Wrong. Illegals will just go underground.

Best way to stop illegals is to man the borders. Period.

[doc30]

The difficult part is proving the employer knew the workers were here illegally. Currently, the benefit of the doubt goes to the employer. Al tey need to do is see a SS card and the employer has established the worker is lawfully present. The employer is not obligated to verify the SS number or the workers immigration status.

[Itzlzha]

The employer is not obligated to verify the SS number or the workers immigration status.

Since when?!?!

That's what an I-9 form is for! The employer MUST have it on record that the SS # was VERIFIED, and the employee's Immigration status was valid...as in a Green Card.

[Mears]

Aaaaah Brookline, a great little liberal town.

I'm in Newton and I'm not gay,I'm not a minority,I'm not a Democrat, I'm not a foreigner(legal or otherwise),and I smoke, so I'm just an ignored blip on the radar as far as my city is concerned.