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U.S Immigration policy: “Silent Raids” – just follow the money August 2, 2010

Business owners beware ICE is in the house and has its hand in your till.  Have you seen these headlines and stories?

 “Obama Keeping Heat on Firms That Employ Illegal Workers”,

“ICE brought criminal charges against 135 employers”.

According to department of Home Land Security (DHS) secretary Janet Napolitano, “the agency will focus on renewing a priority on employers who are making money off of these illegal immigrants and giving them jobs that should be going to American workers” she further said What I want to do is deter more employers from intentionally and knowingly hiring illegal workers.” 

As of April 2010, Effective immediately, ICE will focus its resources on the criminal prosecution of employers that knowingly hire illegal workers.

ICE Director John Morton told a Senate committee during his 2009 confirmation hearings that ending unauthorized labor was a key to stopping illegal immigration.

“We cannot make sustained reductions in illegal immigration without deterring employment of unauthorized labor,” he said. “We need to place renewed focus on employers to ensure that they are playing by the rules.”

Mean while the administration has sued Arizona who is attempting to use state [law enforcement] workers to enforce the immigration laws of the country.  And on the other side of that coin this headline from the Associated Press by Julie Hirschfeld Davis:  

“Agency weighs skirting Congress on Immigration”.   The internal draft written by officials at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services outlines ways that the government could provide “relief” to illegal immigrants – including delaying deportation for some, perhaps indefinitely, or granting green cards to others – in the absence of legislation revamping the system. 

Then there is this accounting by Susan Carroll – Houston Chronicle

“18 arrested in ICE-led raid at Houston flea market” – Witnesses reported that some agents screamed “Don’t run!” in Spanish as people fled the flea market. Feinberg (ICE) said agents were targeting only the suspects identified in the criminal arrest warrants and were not making immigration arrests at the flea market.

Meanwhile elsewhere in the country; The number of workplace arrests (of illegal workers) dropped from 1,100 nationally in 2008 and 410 in 2009, to just 273 so far this fiscal year.  Meanwhile ICE is conducting “silent raids” scouring over employee records of more than 2,900 firms and has levied a record $3 million in civil fines.

Are you confused yet?   Just what is the ICE policy?  As you can see from the information ICE and the administration aren’t interested in arresting illegal immigrants, quite the opposite they are discussing ways to implement policy allowing illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S.  But they want them totally dependent on the government and they are “taxing” businesses to help pay the tab. 

ICE is holding raids in known areas where illegal immigrants are but they aren’t targeting them [illegal immigrants] ICE is targeting the people who are selling the fake documents. 

ICE is also holding “silent raids” or audits at businesses and when they find evidence of incomplete employee files and documents they aren’t collecting the illegal immigrants for deportation, but are issuing civil penalties, a record $3 million so far this year.  And in approximately 5% of the time ICE is arresting the business owner. 

Once again the government has crafted policy and enforcement that taxes businesses and tax payers while creating new dependents for political gain.  It’s all about the money!   

Rick Matthews

P.S. As an employer your liability is increasing at a record pace.  Consider this each year the federal government creates over 150 regulations costing businesses over $100 million in compliance costs.  According to a study by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, owners ranked unreasonable government regulations as the 6^th most critical issue facing business.  Learn about the ultimate solution to this and other dangerous trends facing businesses at www.primaryhroutsourcing.com