America is the land of opportunity. Each year, waves of immigrants come to this country seeking out a better life for themselves and their families. To those who follow the rules and legally cross our borders, I admire them for their courage and determination. Unfortunately, many immigrants come here illegally and obtain fraudulent documentation such as “borrowed” social security numbers, fake birth certificates, or easily obtained drivers licenses so they can enter American job markets. Identity theft, according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) own assertion, is a federal crime.
However, instead of the DOJ focusing on the massive number of cases of identity theft among illegal immigrants, the Department instead files lawsuits against states trying to ensure their employees are here legally. This latest DOJ suit against Arizona and its network of community colleges highlights this issue.
In this case, the DOJ filed suit on behalf of Zainul Singaporewalla, who filled out a federal form stating his permanent resident status and produced both a driver’s license and Social Security card. After filling out this information, he was told to complete additional documentation and provide his green card. When he couldn’t present his green card, the college did not process his paperwork and declined to hire him. In its suit, the DOJ contends that the colleges acted illegally by requiring non-citizens to provide their green cards before they could be hired. The DOJ points to the Immigration and Nationality Act which protects U.S. citizens and aliens authorized to accept employment in the U.S. from discrimination in hiring or discharge on the basis of national origin and citizenship status.
Fair enough – legal aliens should not be discriminated against just because they are foreigners. However, what I don’t get is how showing a green card would be discriminatory? Under the same INS guidelines, employers may only hire employees who can legally work in the U.S.
Requiring solid information proving your legal status to work in the United States would not be burdensome or difficult for legal immigrants and permanent residents to demonstrate. Requiring such documentation would only benefit those legally here while deterring those illegally here. Why punish immigrants who played by the rules and deter people from coming here legally by diluting the legal documentation requirements so low that they mean next to nothing? It’s time to put some integrity and common sense back into our employment and immigration standards so that legal immigrants have a fair chance to live the American dream.
If we accept that racial or national discrimination as such is bad, then why are we all acting like legal positivists on the immigration issue? If we do want people here legally, then let’s change the rules so it’s not so difficult! Incentivize legality, and don’t bring down the brunt of the law on otherwise productive citizens. It’s a waste of resources and a mockery of justice.
In order to have legal immigration, you have to have defined borders. No borders, no need to worry about immigration. Illegal immigration is a problem no matter the source. We have illegal immigrants from Eastern Europe, China, the Middle East and Africa as well as Latin America even western Europeans who have overstayed visas are illegal. We need to enforce the current laws to protect those who have played by the rules. Once we have control we should look at the current laws and fix those that impede the immigration of needed workers with skills that add to the our human capital.
“Illegal immigration is a problem no matter the source.”
Why?
“We need to enforce the current laws to protect those who have played by the rules.”
That’s a non sequitur. What does one have to do with the other?
“Once we have control we should look at the current laws”
Why wait? “Controlling the border” is as fruitless and counterproductive as planning an economy. I don’t think it can ever happen, at least under a modicum of free government.
“the immigration of needed workers with skills that add to the our human capital.”
i.e., all of them.
Perhaps we should just let these people claim excessive numbers of dependemts on the their W2 forms and then file as Head Of Household or Earned Income Credit status. This way that can make extra money paying little if any taxes and getting back around 6,000 every year. Oh wait? They already do that. Who says that? The customers I have who employ them and know what their W2 says. Another employee ratted them out on the filing status. Oh they finally had one quit. The verification process works well. He is now working at the Chili’s by the Douglas Airport.
These people add nothing to this country. They are only here to take what they can.
When I was an employer I had to fill out I-9 forms when I hired someone. I was supposed to check their IDs. What happened to that?