Immigration Enforcement Could Open Up Jobs For Unemployed U.S. Workers, Speakers Say

Immigration is contributing to economic disparity by depressing the wages of U.S. workers, according to Roy Beck, president of Numbers USA. Beck told the forum that the best way to protect U.S. workers is to actively enforce immigration laws and reduce the number of visas and green cards issued to foreign nationals. “Immigration enforcement is about creating jobs for unemployed Americans,” because “when a government action results in an illegal foreign worker leaving a job, an unemployed American gets to go back to work,” Beck said.

Beck recommended that lawmakers let temporary visas run out for the workers already in the United States so that “workers, tourists and students go home as they promised” and those jobs could then be filled by U.S. workers. In addition, he suggested the introduction of legislation to suspend the issuance of as many permanent work visas as possible during the recession. In addition, Beck advocated letting employers run their entire workforce, not just new hires, through E-Verify, the federal government’s electronic employment verification program. Beck also favors making E-Verify a mandatory program for all employers.Daily Labor Report — 11/23/09