Speech #990278997

The current effort to enact employer sanctions into lawto make it against the law to hire someone who is in this country illegallybegan 14 years ago. Strong employer sanctions are absolutely essential to turn off the jobs magnet that encourages people to enter the United States illegally. They are the centerpiece of effective immigration control. And because of my efforts. they apply to all employersno loopholes. Many Americans are concerned that employer sanctions will lead to increased discrimination against Hispanics and other Americans who are legally here and entitled to work. I am very sensitive to that concern. And I have worked hard to put the maximum protections against discrimination into the bill. The bill contains a number of strong protections against discrimination. more protections than have been included ever before. and in all likelihood more than we will be able to put in any future immigration bill if we fail to pass the bill before us today. There is universal verification. which means that employers are required to verify the legal status of all people they hire. no matter what they look like or how they talk. Employers have an affirmative defense against sanctions if they do the verification.