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December 12, 2006
darned if they do, darned if they don't
I'm obviously being simplistic, but at this point I think all of current immigration law is a big waste of money. A wall is a huge waste of money (but can eventually be a boon to tourism... just ask the Chinese). The Basic Pilot Program is a waste of money. The National Guard at the border is a big waste of money. Building jails that can house entire families is a big waste of money. Hauling off hundreds of workers (including legal residents and citizens... smell lawsuit anyone?) is a huge waste of money.
Immigration law is second only in complexity to U.S. tax code. Time to wipe the slate clean and start over.
Swift & Co has participated in the Basic Pilot Program for the last 10 years -- ready for an aha moment? IT IS A WASTE OF MONEY AND COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE!!!! The Greeley Tribune reports:
Swift’s comprehensive work authorization diligence has included, since 1997, participation in the federal Basic Pilot program — a voluntary, online verification system that allows employers to confirm the eligibility of new hires by checking the personal information they provide against federal databases. Today, Swift remains one of the very few employers to use the system. All company domestic production facilities have agreements in place with the federal government under Basic Pilot — agreements which contain provisions that are supposed to protect employers who properly comply with the Basic Pilot program from government-initiated civil and criminal penalties.Current law limits an employer’s ability to scrutinize the background and identity of new hires, and — as Swift learned first-hand — employers can, in fact, be punished for probing too deeply into applicants’ backgrounds. Specifically, in 2001 the U.S. Department of Justice’s Special Counsel for Unfair Immigration-Related Employment Practices brought a complaint against Swift for an alleged “pattern and practice” of document-based discrimination against job applicants, and sought civil damages of $2.5 million. After two years of cooperation and negotiation, Swift settled the claim, with no admission of guilt, for approximately $200,000.
Swift & Co. fully supports comprehensive immigration reform to address the significant policy tension that exists between the need for employers to accurately determine workers’ eligibility versus the need to address privacy and non-discrimination concerns. The company remains committed to preventing the employment of unauthorized workers in its workforce.
Posted by almamia at December 12, 2006 5:39 PM