Mr. President. I am pleased to join my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee and others in cosponsoring this bill which would repeal the employer sanctions and verification provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. The experience of the last 5 years has convinced me that the employer sanctions scheme simply does not work. Placing businessmen and women under the Draconian threat of criminal and civil penalties in order to enforce extraordinarily complex immigration laws can only lead to discrimination. however innocent. How many businessmen and women know. for example. that a drivers license and a Social Security card are sufficient for purposes of the law and that asking for further identificationlike a permanent residence cardmay be unlawful? It is no wonder then that studies show that the result of putting businessmen and businesswomen in the role of enforcing complex laws is often discrimination against individuals who look and sound "foreign." In a report issued last year. the General Accounting Office found that fully 19 percent of employers initiated discriminatory employment practices as a result of the 1986 law. This bill would repeal those laws and redirect enforcement to the place where it is most effective: The borders of this country. It increases our Border Patrol and augments its effectiveness by providing for an antismuggling program and improvements in equipment and support. I commend my colleagues. Senators HATCH and KENNEDY. for their leadership on this issue and look forward to working with my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee to ensure its passage this year.
Identified stereotypes
People who look and sound "foreign" are more likely to be illegal immigrants.