Does Immigration Reform Make Economic Sense?- 04/19/10

Submitted by Jesse Russell on April 18, 2010 - 6:44pm

As momentum builds for Congress to do something comprehensive about immigration reform, supporters of the reform say it makes economic sense for America.

The Carnegie Foundation and the Fiscal Policy Institute produced a study that assessed immigrant economic impact in the 25 largest U.S. metro economies. It found that instead of hurting the economy, immigrants contribute to the economy in the same proportion as their numbers in the population. Hector Figeuroa is Secretary-Treasurer of SEIU 32BJ in New York City.

Figueroa: “What we are finding with this study and a lot of other studies out there who look at the impact if immigrants in the economy is that immigrants are not part of the problem. They’re really part of the solution.”

The report finds that areas with the highest levels of immigration growth also have experienced among the highest economic growth. Figueroa says while employers do exploit undocumented workers to drive wages down, the answer to that is unionization and giving equal labor law protections to all immigrants.

Figueroa: “What we’re saying is that the problem will never go away until we change the laws and it allows millions of people -who are contributing to our economy like this reports suggest - to be able to do that with the same rights as everybody else.”

source: Workers Independent News

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Al Jazeera: NM police can jail illegal immigrants

A bill likely to be signed into law in the coming weeks, would make it a crime under state law to be in the state illegally. The bill would give local police greater powers to stop and question people about their immigration status. Immigrants unable to produce Visa documents or green cards could be arrested, jailed for up to six months and fined $500 if the bill is passed.  Opponents have vowed to try to block it through the courts. Since Obama became president, Homeland Security has deported 1000 people daily, twice the rate of the Bush administration. However, the Republicans in the New Mexico state house are claiming the Obama administration has been interfering in the deportations. Rightardia doubts that the law will have any effect. The state cannot deport the illegals so all they can do is release them after the jail sentence.  The new law will simply burden the police and justice systems in New Mexico and create  a jurisdictional issue between the state and federal government. This law is also reminiscent of the laws the Third Reich passed to intern Gypsies,  Jews and other non-natives during World War 2. Rightardia wonders how many people will be stooped for driving while Hispanic. Al Jazeera's Tom Ackerman reports.

Source: Al Jazeera

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Thousands of Firms to be Audited for Hiring Illegal Workers

The American worker is one of the most productive in the world

Submitted by Jesse Russell on November 22, 2009 - 5:03pm The United States plans to audit thousands of firms as it opens a new front on illegal workers.

On Friday, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said the organization is specifically seeking hiring audits of firms that are tied to “public safety and national security.” The classified list of firms includes those that contract with the government, as well as those that deal with the food system and health care.

The Obama administration has been heavily targeting firms as it seeks an overhaul of immigration laws. In 2008 only 32 firms were fined for violations of hiring unauthorized workers while under Obama 142 firms have been sent fine notices. 

Rightardia comment:  The government needs to crack down on the businesses that are hiring undocumented workers. This is the only way to get this problem under control something the Bush administration avoided. Fortifying the border between Mexico and the US is something that a democratic government does not need. The US doesn't need a Berlin Wall like the one Israel has built.


Many undocumented workers are trying to get out the migrant worker fields and prefer fast food and kitchen jobs because the pay and working conditions are better. Most of the jobs undocumented workers take are the jobs an American with no high school education would seek. 

While the Bush administration looked the other way when a business hired an undocumented workers, it increased the number of H1B visas that allowed foreign IT workers  to take high paying jobs away from Americans who had college degrees and industry certifications. 

source: http://www.laborradio.org/node/12405


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