More companies hiring illegal employees as government enforcement drops sharply
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20040111-9999_1n11workers.htmlNo major U.S. retailer has been targeted by immigration agents since October, when more than 300 illegal workers were arrested at Wal-Mart stores in 21 states.
In fact, the government rarely has cracked down on illegal hiring, even though as many as 12 million people are thought to be residing illegally in the United States.
Between 1992 and 2002, the number of illegal workers apprehended each year at work sites dropped from 8,027 to 1,254, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The number of companies fined for hiring illegal workers also plummeted – from 1,063 to just 13.
In San Diego County, only one owner, whose company hired workers for major hotels, has been prosecuted since 2000, and he was given probation. No business has been fined.
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It looks as if Corporate America loves Bush's new second-class citizenship for undocumented immigrants. They haven't been enforcing the laws anyway, and CEOs have been exempted from punishment.
What a great way to divide undocumented workers from documented workers. What a clever way to pit citizen workers against immigrant workers. The winners, as usual, are the corporations and Bush's cronies.