NC rethugs introduce legislation to keep stimulus aid from illegal immigrants

[babylonsister]

Bill aims to keep aid from illegal immigrants
N.C. Republicans want to require contractors eligible for stimulus money to verify all employees' Social Security numbers.
By Franco Ordoñez
[email protected]
Posted: Friday, Mar. 06, 2009


Saying illegal immigrants shouldn't profit from the stimulus package, N.C. lawmakers have introduced legislation that would require contractors eligible for the federal money to verify their employees' immigration status.

The legislation, sponsored by 32 Republicans, was spurred in part by an Observer report that thousands of N.C. jobs created by the stimulus effort could go to illegal immigrants.

“This is Americans' money, and we ought to make sure Americans are getting these jobs,” said state Rep. Wil Neumann, a Gaston County Republican and primary sponsor of the bill.

The White House estimates the $789 billion package will generate or save some 105,000 jobs in North Carolina over the next two years.

Congress stripped language from the package that would have required employers seeking stimulus money to use E-Verify, a federal program that checks Social Security numbers.

more...

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/597/story/579341.html

[pnutbutr]

1. I believe it's illegal

to hire those in the country illegally anyways.

[tekisui]

2. But, it is done without penalty.

At the same time undocumented workers are round up and deported regularly.

[pnutbutr]

5. not being enforced

does not mean it isn't illegal. What we really need is programs to help these people attain citizenship. If caught here illegally, give them an opportunity to pursue citizenship, monitor progress and then deport if they fail to follow through. As I understand it, if you are actively working toward citizenship you cannot be deported.

[tekisui]

6. I agree. We need paths to citizenship for those

with jobs and families here.

Bringing them out of the shadows will help to stop the employers from using them as wage suppressors.

[notesdev]

8. They have citizenship

in their home countries, where they belong.

Illegal is illegal. If you have a problem with enforcing the law when it comes to illegal immigrants, you forfeit the right to complain about the lack of law enforcement against banking fraudsters stealing your money.

Either the law is a law or it ain't. I have known too many people who came here legally, spent thousands of dollars and years of time filing petitions, waiting in line for green cards, waiting their turn for naturalization.

If that law is optional... how many of the laws on which you rely for protection are also optional?

[tekisui]

9. I disagree.

The criminals, in my opinion are the employers who exploit the cheap labor and suppress the wages of everyone else. If the employers weren't breaking the law by hiring undocumented workers, they wouldn't be here.

[Lance_Boyle]

13. and this proposal would have employers verify the status of their workers

before they get federal bailout money. What in the world is wrong with that?

[notesdev]

15. The employers ought to be in jail

and the illegals ought to be back where they came from. Neither group is virtuous, and both acting together steal millions of jobs and untold amounts in depressed wages from Americans.

Wasn't such a big deal when there appeared to be more than enough jobs for everyone. Now at 16% unemployment, I think that jobs for foreigners ought to be subordinated to jobs for Americans.

[treestar]

12. The whole point of leaving them illegal is so that they can hire

them without having to comply with other laws and pit them against the lowest earning Americans, who always fall for it and blame the illegals for their problems. Oddly, the Americans never quite seem to see that making it legal for any alien to work in the US levels the playing field (i.e., the American "can't" work for less than minimum wage or forgo enforcement of other laws).

[BobRossi]

3. Makes sense to me.

Why shouldn't the very taxpayers that are funding the stimulus be the first to benefit from it? While we're at it we should revoke ALL H1-B visas.

[bridgit]

11. Me too

[spanone]

4. 'americans' money' sorry sons of bitches

[Lance_Boyle]

7. Isn't this the right solution?

To penalize (or in this case decline to reward) employers for knowingly hiring illegals? What is the problem here? I thought DU had near-universal agreement that targeting and penalizing those companies that hire illegals was the right way to combat illegal immigration. How can there be outrage about this when they're FINALLY doing the right thing?

[treestar]

10. There might be some federalism legal question there

The federal bill has the supremacy clause - the $ goes by its dictates - the chance of it going to illegals is probably nil and these thugs just want to make their point about being superior beings for being Americans in one more arena.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

14. Not Sure What's To Object About. Of Course They Shouldn't Get Any Stimulus Money.