Speech #980211488

And that is a very real problem. Now. I say to you that this problem is also raised when it is suggested in the transitional agricultural worker program that aliens employed pursuant to work permits issued under this subsection will be fully protected by all applicable Federal and State lawspage 76. However. on page 17. transitional workers. hundreds of thousands of people who will be brought here under a guest worker program. will not have the new provisions of Migrant Seasonal Agricultural Worker Act to protect their rights. So there is some deception going on here. The idea is that the people who are here legally. people who are citizens of this country. will be able to invoke the rights under title VII. But. in fact. title VII does not apply in the case of an industry that can employ hundreds of thousands or tens of thousands of people and never meet the threshold of title VII. I think that is very important that Members of this Congress understand that. We cannot close our eyes that the very industries. the very entities that have been involved historically in the employment of illegal aliens. raise the specter of discrimination against American citizens and that those American citizens. especially if they are employed in seasonal workand let me say again to the Members of this House. there are thousands of resident farmworkers in this country. American citizens who do farmwork. who are currently unemployed who are looking for these jobs and are not allowed to have these jobs at this time because the jobs are taken by illegal aliens. Those are the very people who may be asked. after the provisions of this law are passed. for rights so that they could not be discriminated against. But they will be told that their employer. the person who they were seeking employment with. is not covered.