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“INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1861-E1862 on Sept. 25, 1997.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION
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HON. BOB FILNER
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, September 25, 1997
Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise today in support of legislation to attack one of the most critical problems facing the residents of San Diego County and California--illegal immigration.
My Eliminating the Magnet for Illegal Immigration Act gets at the root of the problem. It will stop people from trying to cross the border in the first place by removing the attraction--jobs offered by unscrupulous employers that entice people to come to the United States.
My bill finally clamps down on employers that encourage illegal immigration by violating our laws and knowingly hiring undocumented workers.
In San Diego, I represent the district that runs along the border and has the most border crossings--both legal and illegal--in the world. I am acutely aware of the strain illegal immigration puts on communities in my district, and I have always been a firm believer in gaining control of our borders.
In the last 2 years, we have made significant progress. We have increased the number of Border Patrol agents and have begun to give them the tools and technology to get the job done.
But these changes have had limited success in stopping illegal immigration. The critical next step in the fight to stop illegal immigration is to eliminate the magnet and enforce our laws against the hiring of illegal immigrants.
In 1986, Congress underscored the need to eliminate the job magnet and made it illegal to hire undocumented workers--but these laws have been largely ignored. The INS simply has not had the resources to do its job.
Some employers hire undocumented workers because their status makes them easy targets for exploitation and abuse. These employers know they can force them to work in substandard conditions. These employers know they can get away with paying them substandard wages. Is it any wonder that we have this problem.
My legislation gives the INS the resources it needs to aggressively enforce employer sanctions and gives the Department of Labor the resources to aggressively enforce wage and hour laws.
And most importantly, it directs the two agencies to combine forces and target those industries notorious for hiring undocumented workers and forcing them to work in unacceptable conditions.
My bill gets tough on employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers by imposing stronger sanctions and doubling those penalties against employers also caught violating labor laws. It also helps employers by reducing the number of documents workers can use to verify their eligibility.
I want to fully acknowledge that there is an inherent danger that this kind of approach could lead to discrimination against workers--and evidence shows that this has indeed been the case in some instances. Thus my bill will also stiffen the penalties against employers that discriminate and give the Department of Justice the resources it needs to thoroughly investigate incidents of discrimination. We will also provide programs to educate employers about their responsibilities in this area.
My bill takes a balanced, comprehensive approach to the problems created by illegal immigration. As a border Congressman, I am well aware of both the positive and the negative effects of immigration.
And I promised myself, and the people that I represent, that we would deal with the negative impacts without retreating from the values that have made this the greatest country in the world. I challenge Congress to get past the scapegoating that has become so politically profitable.
I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this critically important initiative and show your commitment to truly stem the illegal immigration that affects so many of our communities. I ask you to join me and cosponsor the Eliminate the Magnet for Illegal Immigration Act of 1997.
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