Devona Walker, of
NewsOK.com is reporting today:
The federal government has increased fines for hiring illegal immigrants by as much as $5,000, effective today, as part of an effort to ramp up worksite immigration enforcement, but some say the nominal increase isn't likely to change how some companies do business.
NewsOK is quoting Muzaffar Chisti, director of the Migration Policy Institute's New York office at New York University, who is skeptical that this change will make a big difference:
It's not clear to me that this will put a huge dent in the practice of hiring illegal workers. This will be nothing more than the cost of doing business. It will not be a determining factor. But if they start imposing criminal fees and employers start getting jail terms then you will see a dent.
Larger companies, as a rule, have more choices in picking employees than smaller companies. If the employers start going to prison, they will eventually say, ‘It's not worth it, let's just pay a dollar or two more to get U.S. workers.'
People have good reason to be skeptical that this is nothing more than symbolic language to make it appear as if they are getting serious on (illegal) immigration.
Toughly-written legislation in Oklahoma, such as
HB 1804, has not produced the illegal immigration mass-exodus "
shock and awe" that some had expected. It is unclear whether the new legislation at the federal level will have an impact, either.
Labels: HB 1804, Illegal Immigration, Immigration Reform
Posted at 3/27/2008 08:41:00 AM
