From the Daily Oklahoman
August 21, 2007
Business Writer Paula Burkes Erickson
Q: What new illegal immigration policies has the Department of Homeland Security initiated?
A: (The department) recently announced more than 20 policy initiatives in response to Congress's inability to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation. The primary initiative expresses an intention to vigorously pursue and prosecute employers of undocumented aliens in an all-out effort to enforce existing civil and criminal penalties.
Q: How will the department implement this new policy of enforcement?
A: By initiating many more investigations and expanding the meaning of "constructive knowledge” for employers of undocumented aliens.This way, an employer who has received a "no match” letter from the Social Security Administration may more readily be determined to be employing an undocumented alien.
Q: What is a "no match” letter?
A: When a worker's Social Security number does not correspond with government records, the SSA sends the employer such a letter informing them of this. (Social Security) issues thousands of these "no match” letters each month. Undoubtedly many, if not most, result from undocumented aliens trying to utilize Social Security numbers that do not belong to them.
Q: What impact might this new policy have on such employers, on their undocumented workers and on the economy in general?
A: It really could have a huge impact. Employers must choose to either terminate all undocumented workers or face a greatly increased risk of criminal prosecution and steep fines. Choosing to terminate the workers will put many employers out of business because there are not enough replacement workers available. Potentially millions of undocumented workers will be unemployable: some will retreat further into the shadows, some will leave the country — if they have the means — and some may turn to crime to support their families. None of these scenarios bode well for our economy, which has recently shown signs of decline or even recession.