Speech #980211300

But given the fact that the sanction is for knowingly hiring an undocumented worker. once you reduce and dilute the verification requirement. are you not building a shield around that particular grower? If the grower uses farm labor contractors. as is very common in many parts of this country. including my own State of California. are you not building a shield around him in a sense that for this particular industry it is going to be very. very difficult to ever establish that an employer knowingly hired an undocumented worker. because the grower can insulate himself? He simply says. "I have no verification requirement. I didnt know. I asked and he said yes. he was here legally. he was a permanent resident. he was a citizen." Or. "I asked Joe. the farm labor contractor. to provide me with 50 people. He provided me with 50 people. I didnt know that 25 of them were undocumented workers. or that the State Employment Service sent these people." It seems to me this amendment is totally inconsistent with the thrust of what the author of the bill is trying to propose.