Mr. Chairman. this amendment is very specific in its purpose. It seeks to do only one thing. it would exempt small employersthose employing three or fewer workersfrom the criminal and civil penalties prescribed in the immigration bill. The amendment excludes employers of three or fewer workers from employer sanctions. As in now common knowledge. the bill before us today would establish a fourtiered penalty structure for employers who hire. recruit. or refer undocumented aliens. The penalties are uniformly applied to all employers regardless of the number of workers under their employ. Mr. Chairman. I just do not believe that it was the intention of our Founding Fathers to place U.S. citizens who happen to employ one. two. or maybe three workers in the position of having to enforce our national immigration policy. The fact that we have arrived at this point is representative of the extent to which this Government has failed to meet its responsibility to protect the integrity of our borders. Under this bill we are going to threaten mom and pop operations. shopowners. and all the small employers of Main Street. U.S.A.. with criminal and civil penalties if they are found to employ undocumented aliens. Under this bill we are going to sanction small. rural farmers who need workers but who cannot always find help. There are areas in this country where people who are trying to carry on a legitimate business cannot get people to work.
Keywords matched
undocumented immigration