But Can You Prove You Can Work?

Employers feel heat on immigration By Faye Bowers, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor Thu Jul 5, 4:00 AM ET Phoenix - Arizona leads the nation in population growth. More illegal immigrants cross its border than any other in the United States. Now, in an apparent backlash to those trends, the state is leading the charge to halt illegal immigration by cracking down on employers. (Yahoo News)

While I feel for the businesses in Arizona, I point my ire at the Federal Government for their complete lack of oversight on this matter.

The article talks about a federal database clearing house for IDs, good, bad and ugly. I was just wondering what sort of chaos would ensue in the case of someone who was not eligible to work, but had a valid social security number, got it stamped in the database, subsequently became legal, through one of the many channels and then tried to get a job. Sure, it would be a tiny number, but it is that sort of issue that bothers me because I have seen it happen on things that are supposed to be simple. Case in point is my discussion from the other day where the Defense Security Service was notified of a change in immigration status and a year later they still had not updated their records to reflect that change. And that was with someone who was legally in the country to begin with! (As a side note, you CAN get a social security card and NOT be eligible to work, I know, I had one for 10 years before I became a resident alien).

So, we have companies, being forced to accept a (possible unacceptable) risk to their business because the Federal Government cannot do their job. At least that is the perception.

My opinion? It is a smoke screen. A well orchestrated diversion because the Conservatives in the United States have finally been show the mirror of their hypocrisy and leadership and cannot face up to the damage it has done to the country and its standing in the world.