Election 2008: What’s At Stake?

Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, whose department includes Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, announced last week that the government would begin mailing “no match” letters to employers suspected of hiring illegal immigrants. These letters would notify employers that some of their employees were using Social Security numbers that did not match names in the Social Security database. Employers who did not fire the workers would be punished.

This plan has been in the works since 2007, but a federal judge said that it would lead to discrimination against Latino workers and would hurt businesses. The no-match policy could bar 165,000 legitimate employees from working due to clerical errors or name changes. The judge issued a court order blocking the measure, and this recent move would go against the ruling—which is why the government is preparing to be sued by business and civil rights groups once again.

Meanwhile, the ICE raids continue. The latest was on Friday in Minnesota, where 19 people were arrested during an immigration sweep. Some employers are also feeling the pain. In Illinois, a restaurant owner will spend five months in jail for employing illegal immigrants and paying them under the table. In New Bedford, Mass., two managers at a leather factory that was raided last year pleaded guilty to charges of employing illegal immigrants.

Chertoff said the government was “turning the tide on illegal immigration.”

(AP Photo)