Speech #980210739

Mr. ROYBAL. is a better vehicle to use in approaching reform. and I am an original cosponsor of his bill. The Roybal alternative. along with other proposals. was never afforded a hearing before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration. Although -many of the provisions within the Roybal alternative will be offered as amendments to H.R. 1510. it is unfortunate that they did not have the benefit of committee consideration. I am deeply concerned about provisions in H.R. 1510 that could potentially discriminate against American citizens. MexicanAmerican organizations in my district have raised this issue with respect to employer sanctions. The Immigration and Naturalization Services operation jobs is a case in poiit. An organized series of raids on different workplaces across the country resulted in the arrests of thousands of undocumented workers. Unfortunately. it also resulted in the arrests of American citizens of Hispanic descent and the harrassment of business owners and their patrons. This will always raise questions of civil rights violations and due process guarantees. I therefore think it is important that any bill being considered by this House contain language expressing the sense of Congress that the immigration laws of the United States should be enforced vigorously and uniformly. and in the enforcement of such laws. the Attorney General shall take due and deliberate actions necessary to safeguard the constitutional rights. personal safety. and human dignity of U.S. citizens and aliens alike. I am prepared to offer an amendment to H.R. 1510 containing this directive. The business community in my district is also very concerned about the provisions in H.R. 1510 which would require employers to assume the role of immigration enforcement agents or face the consequences of severe civil fines and criminal penalties. While I agree with the necessity of removing the financial incentives for undocumented workers to seek employment. the Royal alternative seeks to accomplish this without institutionalizing employment discrimination against American citizens who appear foreign. and without imposing additional burdens on the smallbusiness owner. We should support amendments which would authorize additional appropriations for better enforcement of existing labor laws. Through the enforcement of our existing wage and hour laws. stricter monitoring and enforcement of the withholding of social security and income taxes. stricter control over the issuance of social security cards. licenses. and birth certificates. we can discourage employers from hiring undocumented workers. If we cannot enforce the present laws. we cannot honestly anticipate that employer sanctions can be enforced. I intend to offer an amendment to H.R. 1510 which would strike criminal penalties for violations of the employersanctions provisions. They are not needed. as other criminal deterrents exist. At the very least. we should not begin immigration reform by criminalizing employers until we determine that civil penalties are inefficient to deter those who would hire the undocumented worker. In closing. I would like to reiterate my support for immigration reform. It is a vital part of both our domestic and foreign policies. But I am not able to accept many of the provisions of H.R. 1510 because they do not address the needs and fears of my constitutents.