Speech #970223907

S. 2222 takes a direct approach and. I believe. the proper approach to curbing illegal immigration. It attempts to eliminate the magnet which draws the illegal aliens to the United States. the magnet of Illegal American jobs. Quite simply. it closes the loophole in our present laws and makes it a crime for an employer to knowingly hire an illegal alien. I believe this prohibition is the key to controlling illegal immigration. Unless we remove the incentive that brings illegal aliens to the United States. other attempts to solve the problem are going to be futile. S. 2222 calls for the Justice Department to develop a secure worker verification system that cannot be easily counterfeited. The system is necessary to make the prohibitions against employing illegal aliens enforceable. It will protect employers from inadvertently hiring an illegal alien. At the same time. it will provide a method for identifying an employer who intentionally violates the law. The verification system will also protect American workers from discriminatory hiring practices by placing the same documentary requirements on everyone.