Idaho lawmaker says any migrant work laws without E-Verify are ’skim milk;’ dairies fight push

By AP
Tuesday, February 2, 2010

ID lawmaker: Work laws sans E-Verify ’skim milk’

A northern Idaho senator is trying a fourth year to toughen punishments for businesses that employ illegal workers, against opposition from the dairy and construction industries that say this should be a federal issue. At the heart of the disagreement: E-Verify, the currently voluntary federal system that lets businesses check on a worker’s status.

WHAT IS E-VERIFY? An Internet-based, U.S. Department of Homeland Security system. Nationwide, more than 182,000 employers are enrolled in the program, with more than 8.7 million queries run in fiscal year 2009.

WHO WANTS IT? Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, is pushing to require Idaho employers to use the system to root out illegal workers he says cost Idaho millions of dollars. Those found guilty of knowingly hiring illegal workers would face fines of up to $50,000 and the loss of their business licenses. Jorgenson has the backing of the Federation of American Immigration Reform, a group trying to convince U.S. Congress to reduce immigration.

“E-Verify should be made mandatory and universal,” said Ira Mehlman, the Washington, D.C.-based group’s spokesman.

WHO’S AGAINST IT? The Idaho Business Coalition for Immigration Reform, which represents dairy and construction industries. It insists states should leave immigration enforcement to the federal government. Brent Olmstead, a lobbyist for the group, says he’ll fight any measure that threatens to take away employers’ licenses.

“That’s just an extreme form of punishment,” Olmstead said.

SKIM MILK? Jorgenson says dairies and builders are only trying to protect access to a cheap, available source of illegal labor by blocking mandatory E-Verify queries. He also says he’s been hampered by pro-business interests on the Senate State Affairs Committee, which is chaired by Sen. Curt McKenzie, the Nampa Republican who in 2009 tabled a similar measure.

Two more bills set for consideration in the Idaho Legislature also aim to ensure workers are employed legally, but Jorgenson insists they don’t have any real teeth.

“Anything without E-Verify is skim milk,” he said.

Discussion

Brittanicus
February 2, 2010: 10:47 pm

Will the politicians that we elect ever carry out the interests of the American people? I read today on the AMERICAN PATROL website that President Obama is in a discussion to cap government money such as cutting back on NASA appropriations the sending men back to the moon in 1020? Yet we are still spending–BILLIONS–on illegal immigrants who have managed to settle here? If we cannot afford to go back to the moon, how can we afford to pay for illegal immigration? Obama can find billions to Prop-up States like Sanctuary California to pay for illegal immigrants, but he cannot find the cash to pay for space exploration. How can we allow millions of poor people to continue to cross our borders? So why are taxpayers forced by pariah lawmakers to pay for education, health care and even now anticipating BILLIONS more dollars to enact a ominous Comprehensive Immigration Reform? We all know by now, that this is a very crafty way to pass another AMNESTY. These people who have entered this country without permission? Every time a new immigration enforcement is passed, the open border Liberal-Democrats-Republicans use their influence to water the law down. How many of us know, that the controversial border fence is by law supposed to be–TWO SEPARATE–FENCES? Senator Obama voted for it. more than three years ago, but only 35 miles of double-layered fencing is in place and much of the remaining 360 miles of the border fencing is badly constructed–without real barriers. The Truth is the government is lying to us.

The Secure Fence Act of 2006 (Pub.L. 109-367) was enacted October 26, 2006 in the United States. The act allows for over 700 miles (1,100 km) of double-reinforced fence to be built along the border with Mexico across cities and deserts alike, in the U.S. states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas in areas that have experienced illegal drug trafficking, human slavery, gun peddling, illegal immigration and the threat of terrorism. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California who was the originator of the double fence, has not seen this happen, nor the complete wall that is just open areas, with the old barbed wire strands. Underfunded from its inception, the border fence was compromised by the open border organization, that includes American business consortium’s. As in Washington today, a team of intelligence operatives stated to Speaker Pelosi that a El Queda attack was imminent within the next 6 months. This is the time to enforce our borders with the National Guard fully armed and obviously apparent along the whole 2000 feet length. The majority of our State economies are broke–with California leading the pack. Arizona lawmakers realizing the main cause of their financial dilemma, the support of illegal workers and their families.

E-Verify is one of the most successful mechanisms to remove illegal workers, but as yet it is not mandatory. It costs nothing to use it and it has been demonized by every pro-illegal immigrant group, along with corrupt politicians and their financial clients in the business consortium’s. E-Verify must be national, with no exclusions. THIS SHOULD BECOME THE No.1 PRIORITY FOR EVERY SMALL AND LARGE COMPANY, THAT KNOWINGLY HIRING A FOREIGN WORKERS CARRIES PENALTIES SUCH AS HARSH FINES AND PRISON SENTENCES. THERE SHOULD BE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE?

Our GOVERNMENT HAS SOLD ITSELF TO WALL STREET AND BOTH WALL STREET AND THE UNITED STATES ARE DEBTORS TO COMMUNIST CHINA. We cannot afford to subsidize every illegal family member, every Mother with a child who becomes an instant citizen, when 15 million Americans and residents are jobless, when our own people live in poverty. Yes! We always need exceptional highly skilled engineers and scientists, but not the indigent and desperate that we must endlessly financially support. Not semi-skilled labor that will take less wages, than our own people, who themselves will end up in the unemployment benefits line. Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to be connected to your Senator and Congressman and use the voting power of THE PEOPLE. Go to NUMBERSUSA AND JUDICIAL WATCH for more information about this catastrophe that could overwhelm this country in the coming months.
Latest Immigration news: President cuts border security budget
While telling the American people that national security is a priority in his administration, President Barack Obama submitted a 2011 budget proposal that includes cuts to U.S. border security. — The proposed budget cuts include a reduction in Border Patrol agents and a cut in the amount of money allocated for the so-called “virtual fence” on the U.S.-Mexico border…

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