"Overall, immigration to the United States declined along with the economy after 2000"
Like the two are connected...HA HA
"Under the former INS and now ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement,) worksite enforcement has been a relatively low priority," says the report, which was released Wednesday.
And enforcement efforts have decreased in recent years. The report found that:
* In 1999, INS devoted about 9 percent of its agent investigative work years to worksite enforcement. In 2003, that dropped to 4 percent.
* In 1999, INS issued 417 notices that it intended to fine an employer. In 2003, ICE issued three such notices.
* In 1999, there were 2,849 workplace arrests of unauthorized workers. In 2003 there were 445.
Department of Homeland Security officials generally agreed with the findings of the GAO study.