I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of the amendment to replace criminal sanctions with civil penalties for employers who hire undocumented immigrants. The provision on employer sanctions currently in the bill threatens employers with a 6month jail sentence for pattern and practice violations. This is overkill. Adequate provisions already exist with civil remedies and the power of injunction. Criminal sanctions would result in discrimination. The foreman at a construction site or manager at a restaurant would avoid hiring people who look foreign or speak with an accent. If employers know that they can be handcuffed and arrested if they make the wrong decision.
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undocumented immigrants