[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 21]
[House]
[Page 28195]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   WORKSITE ENFORCEMENT IN FREE FALL

  (Mr. SMITH of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, workplace immigration enforcement is 
in a free fall. We will discuss this free fall and other ways illegal 
immigration adversely impacts jobs at a Republican forum today at 1:00 
p.m. in 2237 Rayburn House Office Building.
  Workforce enforcement has dropped across the board from 2008 to 2009. 
Administrative arrests fell 68 percent. Criminal arrests fell 60 
percent. Criminal indictments fell 58 percent. Criminal convictions 
fell 63 percent.
  It's hard to conceive of a worse time to cut worksite enforcement 
efforts by more than half. There are 16 million Americans out of work, 
and yet the administration has chosen to ignore the fact that there are 
nearly 8 million illegal immigrants in the workforce.
  Those stolen jobs should be returned to out-of-work citizens and 
legal immigrants. The Obama administration should put citizens and 
legal immigrants first.

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