Con

Julie L. Myers, JD, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary, in a July 26, 2006 "Testimony Before the House Committee on Ways and Means," offered the following remarks:

“Criminally charging employers who hire undocumented aliens will create the kind of deterrence that previous enforcement efforts did not generate… To be clear, the magnet of employment is fueling illegal immigration…

ICE has developed a voluntary corporate outreach program aimed at strengthening overall hiring practices in the workplace. This outreach program will emphasize enhanced employer compliance through corporate due diligence… Employers who are shown to have hired a significant number of unlawful aliens in a year, notwithstanding these tools to verify employee eligibility, should be presumed to have knowingly hired these individuals…

Although criminal prosecution of egregious violators is our primary objective in worksite cases, a need exists for a new and improved process of issuing fines and penalties that carry a significant deterrent effect and that are not regarded as a mere cost of doing business. Only with a strong compliance program, combined with issuance of meaningful penalties, will the United States have an effective worksite enforcement program.”

July 26, 2006