While TX Gov. Rick Perry Talks About Tougher Business Immigration Enforcement But Does Nothing President Obama Acts
Texas Governor Rick Perry has been an outspoken critic of President Obama's immigration strategy yet when it comes to truly cracking down on businesses who hire undocumented immigrants, the President is actually doing far more.
Rick Casey of the Houston Chronicle does an excellent job of contrasting what Governor Perry Says with what he actually does:
In his state of the state speech in February, Gov. Rick Perry declared, "We must establish criminal penalties for employers who knowingly hire workers who are here in violation of immigration law." Tough words, but said with a wink and a nod. The nod was to the virulent anti-immigrant sentiments of much of Perry's constituency, but the wink was to his business backers. Perry's only immigration legislative push was for a weak "anti-sanctuary city" bill that he declared an "emergency" despite the fact that he wouldn't identify any actual sanctuary cities in the state.
This strategy of talking tough but doing very little on immigration enforcement is endemic of most Anti-Immigrant Governors. Lets be clear, the federal government enforcing immigration laws is a good thing. The federal government enforcing immigration laws in a smart manner is even better. It is true that these laws need to be reformed, but the rule of law still must be enforced.
Having said all of that, the contrast between the Presidents words and his actions on the issue of employer verification laws are a little more in line:
Meanwhile, the Obama administration is stepping up criminal prosecution of employers. According to a New York Times story Sunday, whereas the Bush administration threw workers in prison and let the employers off light, the Obama administration is doing just the opposite. The politics are fairly obvious. A Republican administration, backed by big business, busted the illegal workers. The current Democratic administration, backed by unions, is busting employers. But there is a policy issue as well.
Now this paragraph above is interesting, as it conflates the Obama Administration as being in cahoots with the Labor Unions on enforcing immigration audits on businesses. When ICE Audits a work place, it creates complications for workers and employers alike. Unions are not happy about the increased audits. Not because they dont want the law to be enforced but rather because the process is burdensome for businesess and Union's alike.
While there are challenges, the current Administration is not backing down from enforcing the law:
In Tucson, the owners of a chain of Mexican restaurants and their accountants were charged with felonies in April after raids of 14 restaurants in Arizona and California. Each could theoretically receive more than 80 years in prison, although sentencing guidelines will be for less. Of 42 illegal workers swept up, one was charged with an unrelated crime, 13 detained or deported for civil immigration violations and the rest remained as witnesses or as possibly eligible to gain legal status, reported the Times. The owners were charged with keeping two sets of books and cheating workers out of overtime pay and the government out of taxes on more than $400,000 in wages.Last year 119 employers were convicted of crimes, including a Dallas ex-FBI agent.
To these eyes this looks a lot more substantive then what Governor Perry is doing in his state. Which is actually not hard, when he isnt doing anything but blowing hot air.
- Kristian Ramos's blog
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