[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 130 (Thursday, September 25, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1861-E1862]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 25, 1997

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise today in support of 
legislation to attack

[[Page E1862]]

one of the most critical problems facing the residents of San Diego 
County and California--illegal immigration.
  My Eliminating the Magnet for Illegal Immigration Act gets at the 
root of the problem. It will stop people from trying to cross the 
border in the first place by removing the attraction--jobs offered by 
unscrupulous employers that entice people to come to the United States.
  My bill finally clamps down on employers that encourage illegal 
immigration by violating our laws and knowingly hiring undocumented 
workers.
  In San Diego, I represent the district that runs along the border and 
has the most border crossings--both legal and illegal--in the world. I 
am acutely aware of the strain illegal immigration puts on communities 
in my district, and I have always been a firm believer in gaining 
control of our borders.
  In the last 2 years, we have made significant progress. We have 
increased the number of Border Patrol agents and have begun to give 
them the tools and technology to get the job done.
  But these changes have had limited success in stopping illegal 
immigration. The critical next step in the fight to stop illegal 
immigration is to eliminate the magnet and enforce our laws against the 
hiring of illegal immigrants.
  In 1986, Congress underscored the need to eliminate the job magnet 
and made it illegal to hire undocumented workers--but these laws have 
been largely ignored. The INS simply has not had the resources to do 
its job.
  Some employers hire undocumented workers because their status makes 
them easy targets for exploitation and abuse. These employers know they 
can force them to work in substandard conditions. These employers know 
they can get away with paying them substandard wages. Is it any wonder 
that we have this problem.
  My legislation gives the INS the resources it needs to aggressively 
enforce employer sanctions and gives the Department of Labor the 
resources to aggressively enforce wage and hour laws.
  And most importantly, it directs the two agencies to combine forces 
and target those industries notorious for hiring undocumented workers 
and forcing them to work in unacceptable conditions.
  My bill gets tough on employers who knowingly hire undocumented 
workers by imposing stronger sanctions and doubling those penalties 
against employers also caught violating labor laws. It also helps 
employers by reducing the number of documents workers can use to verify 
their eligibility.
  I want to fully acknowledge that there is an inherent danger that 
this kind of approach could lead to discrimination against workers--and 
evidence shows that this has indeed been the case in some instances. 
Thus my bill will also stiffen the penalties against employers that 
discriminate and give the Department of Justice the resources it needs 
to thoroughly investigate incidents of discrimination. We will also 
provide programs to educate employers about their responsibilities in 
this area.
  My bill takes a balanced, comprehensive approach to the problems 
created by illegal immigration. As a border Congressman, I am well 
aware of both the positive and the negative effects of immigration.
  And I promised myself, and the people that I represent, that we would 
deal with the negative impacts without retreating from the values that 
have made this the greatest country in the world. I challenge Congress 
to get past the scapegoating that has become so politically profitable.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this 
critically important initiative and show your commitment to truly stem 
the illegal immigration that affects so many of our communities. I ask 
you to join me and cosponsor the Eliminate the Magnet for Illegal 
Immigration Act of 1997.

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