Read the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding E-Verify
The U.S. Supreme Court has apparently upheld the right of the state of Arizona to require businesses to use the federal E-Verify system to ascertain that new hires are legal U.S. residents.
Read the opinion here – courtesy of SCOTUSblog.
The challenge was brought by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and obviously has tremendous implications for Georgia – which adopted a similar requirement this spring.
From the opinion, written by Chief Justice John Roberts:
Arizona’s use of E-Verify does not conflict with the federal scheme. The Arizona law requires that “every employer, after hiring an employee, shall verify the employment eligibility of the employee” through E-Verify….That requirement is entirely consistent with the federal law…..
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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79 comments Add your comment
Ric
May 26th, 2011
11:07 am
It may be constitutional, but that doesn’t mean it’s good public policy.
TG
May 26th, 2011
11:23 am
I totally agree joe!!! Well said! There is a huge difference between legal immigration and illegal immigration.
joe
May 26th, 2011
11:25 am
Hooray…hope this is the first step to proper border enforcement and stopping illegal immigration. The fact that the Fed chooses not to enforce our existing laws is mind blowing. Anyone who wants to come to the US needs to do it the legal way, and then will be welcomed just all those who did it the right way have been in the past.
Bob
May 26th, 2011
11:29 am
Now, watch every slimey employer, contractor, engineering firm 1099 all their illegal employees, avoiding the law again. Or, they will revert to cash payments. This case is one step,, but until they close that loophole, too, the fight to control our borders is on-going.
Harry
May 26th, 2011
11:37 am
A win for federalism; a loss for centralized command and control.
Another Voice
May 26th, 2011
11:37 am
More people will be paid with cash under the table and no taxes for state and local governments.
Another Voice
May 26th, 2011
11:40 am
@Joe you may want to inform yourself better about this, there was and still there is no legal way for low skill immigrants to come here legally, there is NO LINE, due to broken immigration system. Therefore when these immigrants face a choice between a life of misery or a life of illegality, the choice is easy for them….they know that the worst job in America will help them live way better than life in their country. Second most illegal immigrants about 55% are visa over stayers they did not sneak across the border.
Law is Law
May 26th, 2011
11:43 am
1099 (no loophole here) or under the table, the law is the law. Employers breaking this law stand the chance on penalties including losing business license. Not worth the risk. That’s why there is a law deterring this behavior.
Aquagirl
May 26th, 2011
11:44 am
State politicians everywhere are FREAKING OUT. Now they have to choose between their tough anti-illegal talk and their big business political donations. Get your popcorn ready, folks. It’s gonna be a good one.
Edward
May 26th, 2011
11:50 am
Now watch the business lobbyists schmooze and bribe the GOP to do something to invalidate any law a state might make. Business and the GOP don’t want such laws because it costs them money. Money is way more important to them than law or patriotism or the welfare of any citizen.
Law is Law
May 26th, 2011
11:50 am
It has never been legal, but employers were never required to check someone’s status before hiring them. Now they ARE required to check. A win for States in need of illegal relief. A win for real American workers too.
Ric
May 26th, 2011
11:51 am
Exactly right, Another Voice!
The best way to end unauthorized immigration is to make it easier to come here legally. Raise quotas, simplify the system, and provide a robust, cost-efficient guest worker program — problem solved!
Avoid the extemes, folks.
May 26th, 2011
11:52 am
It is easy to have a reasonable policy that is fair to all involved that avoids the hyperbole of both the extreme right and the extreme left.
1- Build a fence along the southern border
2- Create a reasonable path to citizenship that requires that taxes be paid, that a command of the English language and an understanding of American government be demonstrated.
3- Give existing illegal immigrants 90 days to register for that path to citizenship or face aggressive enforcement and deportation.
4- Problem solved
It’s simple-minded to think that we can deport 10 million people and it’s unamerican to turn people away just because they don’t look like us. We ARE a nation of immigrants, after all. Likewise, it’s naive to leave our borders wide open and to think that we can absorb an unlimited number of immigrants that are a drain on our resources and that do not pay their share of the tax burden.
A little common sense on the part of the fringe elements would go a long way toward solving the problem.
joe
May 26th, 2011
11:55 am
@anotherV, I understand the LAW just fine. Whether or not an immigrant is low, medium or high skilled, as long as they can fill out an application (or have someone fill it out for them), then they are welcome to apply to come here legally. Yes it will take time, but that is just the way it is.
Just like I would have to apply and follow the procedures to become a citizen of a foreign country…there is a process in place, and since it is law, I would be required to follow it. Why should things be any different here…esp with all the expenses involved in providing for those here illegally (healthcare, food stamps, education for their kids, etc) and our high unemployment numbers. Stop these illegals from coming in and those who want to work hard will have a job (for those who are lazy like able bodied men begging on the interstate ramps, can’t help them).
Another Voice
May 26th, 2011
11:55 am
Building a fence won’t solve the problem last I checked ladders came in all sizes. Taking pressure off the border that works, if you create a way for people to come here legally based on economic needs and tell them how to do it. Then they will do that and the only people trying to cross the border illegally then are drug smugglers and gun runners. That way you are truly zoooming in on the bad apples…
PappyHappy
May 26th, 2011
11:59 am
Well, the ‘progressive liberals’ will now have hissy fits, and John Lewis will try to start some marches — but folks, the law is the law.
Obama’s concern will be how can he get the block vote of the Hispanics. He could care less about them as potential citizens — he only wants them to bolster his own personal power.
Obama has a bigger problem — he cannot even figure out what year it is!! Do you think he drunk too many ‘pints’??
Aquagirl
May 26th, 2011
11:59 am
“Build a fence on the southern border.”
People without jobs need to go find one. Look, I solved our 10% unemployment rate! Dang that was easy.
@ Another Voice
May 26th, 2011
12:02 pm
Respectfully, I think that any discussion of a functional immigration policy starts with building a fence. It is a border, after all, and needs to be treated as one. A line on a map does not stop illegal crossings. While ladders do come in all sizes and a fence will not stop all crossings, it will sure make crossing over a little tougher and undoubtedly cut back on the flow.
For what it’s worth, I agree that we need a much better way for people to become citizens and be here legally.
Another Voice
May 26th, 2011
12:03 pm
@Joe “all the expenses involved in providing for those here illegally (healthcare, food stamps, education for their kids, etc) and our high unemployment numbers.”
You are wrong again the do not qualify for any of these benefits because citizenship requirements and their kids are US citizens and immigrates pay taxes, therefore what ever they are using is not free they pay their kids way because taxes paid by them will never get back, such as SS taxes. They may be helping your grandma still get her benefits given that SS is broke….
Lance
May 26th, 2011
12:11 pm
Heck yeah! Come here legally or go the F Home!
DannyX
May 26th, 2011
12:14 pm
Get the E-verify system up and running immediately in every single south Georgia farm.
Don’t leave out the chicken plants. North Georgia manufacturing plants also.
Well?? What are you waiting for????
No worries, there are thousands of LEGAL Georgians lining up for those low paying, no benefit jobs.
This is going to be fun to watch.
downtowner
May 26th, 2011
12:22 pm
@ Another Voice:
Say what?? Only those born in the US are citizens, and plenty of immigrant children were born outside the U.S.. Also, the families of the so-called “anchor babies” are not citizens. Hospital emergency rooms must accept all “emergencies” who come; schools must educate all children ; many immigrants are paid in cash (no taxes or S.S. there) and send most of it back to their home country; the low wages they accept (because the employer need not pay their taxes or S.S.) increases the unemployment of American low-wage minorities.
tony
May 26th, 2011
12:22 pm
why do people hate immigrants so bad. there is enough room for everybody and here is a way to save the government a lot of money, STOP giving them medicaid and food stamps untill they are legal. there will be an awful lot of empty apartments and vacant buildings if we run all of the mexicans out which wii lead to a lot more forclosures.THINK AMERICA, especially GA , we are already broke and we want to get rid of hard working people who spend a lot of thier money right here. to me that is stupid
Doug
May 26th, 2011
12:29 pm
This is the kind of proper court decision that will help get us re-calibrated to thinking with our heads instead of our hearts. The law of the land will be enforced, even if it upsets your sense of political correctness. Most Americans have no problem with immigration, but most Americans hate illegal immigration.
Reality
May 26th, 2011
12:38 pm
“…we want to get rid of hard working people who spend a lot of thier money right here. to me that is stupid….”
WTF? And exactly how much are these so-called “hard working people” costing taxpayers?
DannyX
May 26th, 2011
12:42 pm
“The law of the land will be enforced,…”
It will not.
When Republican ideology meets reality there will be tons of loopholes and excuses on why the law should be ignored.
ponomo
May 26th, 2011
12:46 pm
illegals and obuma—one and the same. where are your papers obuma?
Reality
May 26th, 2011
12:48 pm
“When Republican ideology meets reality there will be tons of loopholes and excuses on why the law should be ignored.”
Thank you Nostradamus.
DannyX
May 26th, 2011
12:49 pm
This only thing this law does is allow those people that hate the “illegals” to say “we got ‘em’” It changes nothing.
The “illegals” aren’t going anywhere as long as Americans refuse to do the work. The employers can pay them next to nothing and when it comes right down to it no one is going to stop them from hiring them.
DannyX
May 26th, 2011
12:51 pm
“And those ol Republicans will probably sue Georgia like they did Arizona for “enforcing present Federal Laws”—-OH WAIT!! That was Obama!”
Was there a point there somewhere?
Just sayin...
May 26th, 2011
12:53 pm
“When Republican ideology meets reality there will be tons of loopholes and excuses on why the law should be ignored.”
And those ol Republicans will probably sue Georgia like they did Arizona for “enforcing present Federal Laws”—-OH WAIT!! That was Obama!
J Throckmorton Malcontent
May 26th, 2011
12:57 pm
Back when all you rural goobers voted Democrat, the Governors & Speaker Murphy never tried to mess with your harvesters. Then you had to go make a deal with the gated community devils in the R party. Look at you now, where did it get you? Guess you’ll have to pick your own onions.
DannyX
May 26th, 2011
1:01 pm
“Guess you’ll have to pick your own onions.”
Free onions! Free onions to all the “legals” that go pickin’. Hope there is some free Activan for the back pain you’ll get.
Just sayin...
May 26th, 2011
1:02 pm
“rural goobers voted Democrat……gated community devils in the R party.”
I take it the low IQ supported the Green Party.
Ed Shultz
May 26th, 2011
1:12 pm
Yeah! And do something about all those Cons and right wingers and their hate speech!
Concerned Citizen
May 26th, 2011
2:02 pm
This court also ruled that business had the right to fund political campaigns. That ruling was wrong too. I lost most of my respect for the Supreme Court with that ruling. This one put a few more nails in the coffin.
t looks like it’s time to start mourning the loss of America and the United States. Georgia and Arizona are two states legislating our demise.
On a parallel note, “conservative” (who are really extremists) seem to run for election on platforms of “less government” – back to basics, THEN once in office write “Bills for Buddies” (campaign supporters); legislating how many sheets of toilet paper to use, ad nauseum.
Is it the pretend politeness of politics that has eliminated common sense? We need balance between government, business and residents of this country just as much as we need balance within the three branches of government.
chris
May 26th, 2011
2:03 pm
The illegals lower our standard our living by doing the jobs for sub standard pay and by over burdening our health care/welfare systems.Americans will do the jobs but not for slave labor, and anyone who doesn’t believe the healthcare system is overwhelmed by illegals should make a little visit to their local E.R.or the maternity ward and watch the illegal Hispanics down load yet another baby and then disappear in the middle of the night leaving the tax payers yet another bill to cover.
Ric
May 26th, 2011
2:08 pm
Chris,
How do you know that those “illegal Hispanics” are here illegally?
Do you check the immigration status of your fellow ER patrons, or do you have a special pair of glasses?
Bill J
May 26th, 2011
2:11 pm
For most of the 20th century, the immigration numbers were set to allow approximately 250,000 immigrants to legally enter the U.S. In the mid 1970’s, Congress made drastic changes to that number and bumped it up to 1,000,000. Each and ever year for almost 4 decades, we have allowed 1,000,000 LEGAL immigrants to come to our shore. I welcome those who come here legally. I wish them the best and brightest future possible.
Regarding those immigrants who chose to not “stand in line”, fill out their forms and wait 5-10 years, please go home. Why? Because you broke the law. Millions of people from around the world have qualified to come here LEGALLY. There should be no path to citizenship, just a path back to the country from which you came. If you can qualify to come here LEGALLY, then we welcome you back with open arms.
Illegal immigration hurts both American citizens and those people that have followed the rules and come here LEGALLY. Illegal immigration puts downward pressure on the wages of the least educated and lowest skilled population of American citizens and LEGAL immigrants. As a former operations manager, this situation became crystal clear to me when I was hiring a new worker for our warehouse. A young, single mom had driven over an hour from her home to our warehouse to apply for a job. We listed the opening wage at $12/hr. Let me backtrack a little bit. I had decided that instead of paying a temp agency $12/hr and having them pass $8 hour to the worker, I would pay the worker directly. One of the problems we had was that most of the workers from the temp agency were here illegally. One of the workers explained to me how he borrowed $3700 from his uncle to give to the coyotes who brought him across the border. Anyway, when the $12/hr ad hit, I was inundated with highly qualified people with plenty of experience. I also received a call from a very unhappy man with a Spanish accent that was very upset that he didn’t qualify. Why didn’t he qualify? The ad required that you be able to read and write English at the High School level. Back to the single mom that drove over an hour to interview for this job. I asked her why she would drive so far. She said “I can’t make more than minimum wage in my area, even though I’m forklift certified for the warehouse”. Now, why do you think she couldn’t make more even though she had the necessary certifications? Because illegal immigrants will work for minimum wage. When one illegal quits, another will take their place working for minimum wage. What’s really sad is that LEGAL immigrants are hurt by the presence of illegal immigrants in the workplace. How sad is it to wait 5-10 years to come to America only to have to compete with someone came here illegally.
Regarding taxes, I’ve got another story. One day I walk out into our parking lot next to the warehouse and I see a brand new Jeep. I find out that the Jeep was purchased by one of our guys that was hired before I took the operations manager position. He was here illegally (per other workers that knew him) and could barely speak English. I looked at the car and thought to myself, “How can this guy afford this? I know how much he makes, I pay him.” It didn’t take me long to remember, “Oh, he doesn’t pay taxes!” Those that are here illegally, don’t give their real names, they have fake social security cards/numbers and they tear up their W-2’s when we give them out at the end of the year. Would you pay taxes if you were living under an assumed name in another country? Not only did these workers not pay taxes, they claimed many dependents so that their paycheck had very little deducted.
Bottom line, illegal immigrants overload our schools, take jobs from American citizens and LEGAL immigrants, put downward pressure on wages for the most disadvantaged citizens and put additional pressure on social services.
E-Verify will help put a stop to the job magnet. The harder it is to get a job for an illegal immigrant, the less likely they will be to come here.
Hooray for E-Verify!
Ed Shultz
May 26th, 2011
2:25 pm
Concerned Citizen
May 26th, 2011
2:02 pm
This court also ruled that business had the right to fund political campaign
No problem with Unions funding political campaigns, huh?
Ric
May 26th, 2011
2:28 pm
“Bottom line, illegal immigrants overload our schools, take jobs from American citizens and LEGAL immigrants…”
-Bill J
When we people realize that we don’t have a fixed number of jobs in our economy? In a market-based economy, a job filled by an immigrant is not one job fewer for a native. Immigrants, regardless of their legal status, are creating more jobs in our economy than they fill.
Ed Shultz
May 26th, 2011
2:29 pm
“On a parallel note, “conservative” (who are really extremists)”
The Village Idiot quote of the day.
Just Sayin...
May 26th, 2011
2:31 pm
“…legislating how many sheets of toilet paper to use, ad nauseum…”
ONLY person I’ve heard wanting to limit sheets of toilet paper to use, was liberal nutjob Cheryl Crow.
Just Sayin...
May 26th, 2011
2:34 pm
“Immigrants, regardless of their legal status, are creating more jobs in our economy than they fill.”
I suppose you have actual “facts” to back this statement? Or, are you just talking about more Government bureacrats to handle the Food Stamps, Medicaid, SSI, INS, etc..?
Ric
May 26th, 2011
2:52 pm
Just Sayin,
Yes, largely due to the fact that most immigrants don’t compete with native-born workers. Instead, they’re complementing natives and making the American workforce more productive. Despite 10% unemployment, there are still severe worker shortages among low-skilled and high-skilled workers – the jobs that most immigrants typically fill. When those jobs go unfilled, businesses are forced to downsize, close, or reduce production. When that happens, natives lose jobs and wages.
Think of it this way: in an average year, our economy demands about 500,000 year-round low-skilled foreign workers, but we only issue about 5,000 – 10,000 visas for that category of immigrants. Now suppose you were in the auto industry and had to import the steel you needed to manufacture cars, but the government set steel quotas at only 1-2% of what you needed to meet the demand of the market. Clearly, that wouldn’t be a pro-jobs economic policy, but it’s exactly why our immigration policies are making us less productive and less competetive.
There was some great research at Ohio University in 1994 (if I remember correctly) led by Richard Vedder that studied the relationship between unemployment rates and immigration rates for nearly a century. It found that any correlation between immigration and unemployment was negative, which means that higher immigration levels are associated with lower unemployment for natives.
There’s also some good research by James Holt about the impact of low-skilled migrant farm workers on local economies. He found that on average, migrant farm workers create and sustain three additional jobs in the surrounding community.
In 2001, the University of Illinois found that undocumented immigrants alone sustained more than 30,000 jobs (if I remember correctly – I don’t have any of this info nearby at the moment, but please look it up) in the Chicago metro area.
Also, the Council of Economic Advisors released two studies in 2005 and 2007 about the impact of immigration on the economy. In one of those studies (2007, I think), they concluded that foreign-born workers boosted the overall wages of natives by $30 billion annually.
I would also recommend that you read the research of Giovanni Peri, who has done some great work on this. Even George Borjas, who is the closest thing you’ll find to a legitimate economist who believes that immigrants “steal” American jobs — even Borjas, who uses rigged models for his research, has admitted that the overall impact of ‘mass’ immigration is good for our economy.
Just Sayin...
May 26th, 2011
3:07 pm
Please provide the links. It sounds more like you’ve made a judgement or formed an opinion. It seems your last post is filled with hypotheticals, referrals, or recommendations.
All I am asking for, is proof, that, as you said “Immigrants, regardless of their legal status, are creating more jobs in our economy than they fill.”
RetiredSoldier
May 26th, 2011
3:22 pm
Ric-
“Yes, largely due to the fact that most immigrants don’t compete with native-born workers. Instead, they’re complementing natives and making the American workforce more productive”
Please give me an example of a job that an American didn’t do in the past that an illegal does today. The reason you can’t is illegals will work for less. Pure and simple. Enforce a legal workforce, pay a rate Americans will work for and problem solved. And yes I understand I’ll have to pay more for the finished product.
Southern DisComfort
May 26th, 2011
3:26 pm
Bishop Eddie Long needs a Defrocking.
td
May 26th, 2011
3:57 pm
DannyX
May 26th, 2011
12:49 pm
This only thing this law does is allow those people that hate the “illegals” to say “we got ‘em’” It changes nothing.
The “illegals” aren’t going anywhere as long as Americans refuse to do the work. The employers can pay them next to nothing and when it comes right down to it no one is going to stop them from hiring them.
Sure it can if you libs get on board. We now have jobs so we can cut unemployment benefits off (saving money), we can cut Food stamps, welfare and watch how fast these unskilled jobs get filled.
Jose Juan Jesus Garcia
May 26th, 2011
3:59 pm
Just stop all legal and illegal immigration and deport all illegal immediately.
Fire Janet Napelatano she supports Amnesty for Illegals as does Obama
Last Man Standing
May 26th, 2011
4:25 pm
Another voice:
“You are wrong again the do not qualify for any of these benefits because citizenship requirements and their kids are US citizens and immigrates pay taxes,”
Many people could write many words refuting your idiotic statement. This time I will be a man of very few words. You’re full of it.
Last Man Standing
May 26th, 2011
4:36 pm
There is no need to deport the illegal aliens. If they aren’t given work, WIC, medical care, education, Section 8 housing or ANY entitlement, they will self-deport. Yeah, I can stand to watch them starve, live under bridges and die from lack of medical care. They are, in fact, willing to take bread out of the nouths of legal citizens, endanger their health and lives and siphon off as much of the wealth of this country as they possibly can.
Fence the border, and patrol the fence with armed personnel instructed to shoot to kill and illegal immigrant defying an order to halt. Those that syop can walk back across the border. It won’t take many who defy that order to convince a great many that it is too much of a risk to try and enter the U.S. illegally.
@ Concerned Citizen and Danny X
May 26th, 2011
4:44 pm
You Liberal guys crack me up in your portrayal of all Conservatives as redneck wild-eyed right-wing bigots that won’t be satisfied until every brown (or black or yellow) baby is roasted alive and eaten, Here’s some news: you are wrong, I, along with a fair number of folks that I know, are indeed conservative and are worried about the problem of illegal immigration. That doesn’t mean that we hate immigrants.
You guys are all peace, love, and understanding until someone disagrees with you. You need to grow up and start acting like intelligent human beings.
DannyX
May 26th, 2011
4:57 pm
“Sure it can if you libs get on board. ”
Td, it has nothing to do with getting the libs on board. It has everything to do with getting the EMPLOYERS on board. Watch what happens. It won’t be the libs screaming about the law, it will be the employers.
The EMPLOYERS are hiring the “illegals” and will do everything in their power to keep doing so. They will continue to break the law. They will lobby for waivers and exemptions. They will complain that they need the immigrant help.
The e-verify system puts the whole matter squarely on the employer, not the libs. Reality says nothing is going to be done to stop the employers.
Of course you will be complaining about the libs when this all doesn’t work out. You will place none of the blame where it belongs.
How about a boycott on Vidalia onions and chicken until they get rid of the “illegals?”
Boycott all the illegal employers.
The fact is...
May 26th, 2011
5:06 pm
@ Concerned Citizen and Danny X
LOL! Good one…now DannyX will do his usual “Medicare part D!!! Medicare Part D!!!”
DannyX
May 26th, 2011
5:11 pm
“now DannyX will do his usual “Medicare part D!!! ”
“EaT less CHickiN”
Put your ideology where your mouth is. Every single chicken is processed by a workforce that is 99% illegal.
Aquagirl
May 26th, 2011
5:13 pm
“You Liberal guys crack me up in your portrayal of all Conservatives as redneck wild-eyed right-wing bigots”
And yet the post above yours advocates shooting unarmed people who pose no physical danger. Creepy stuff.
The fact is...
May 26th, 2011
5:20 pm
DX
ZZzzzzzzz…..ZZZZZzzzzzzz…
DannyX
May 26th, 2011
5:44 pm
Creepy indeed Aquagirl.
“Yeah, I can stand to watch them starve, live under bridges and die from lack of medical care.”
LMS, did you learn that in Sunday school?
“You need to grow up and start acting like intelligent human beings.” Preach on Brother, preach on.
elroy
May 26th, 2011
5:57 pm
Most of the public doesn’t want illegals here for various reasons. majority rules! my opinion, bring the troops back from over seas & let them protect our borders. limit legal immigration as population control is still an issue. but got to get rid of those that shouldn’t be here first.
Dave Gorak
May 26th, 2011
6:07 pm
Let’s see if I correctly understand Ric’s comment: It’s “good public policy” to let employers to continue to employ illegal aliens while screwing over those 22 million American citizens who would jump at the opportunity to work in the construction, manufacturing, transportation and service industries where the majority of illegals are working.
Ric: If’m wrong, please set me straight.
Dave Gorak
Executive director
Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration
La Valle, WI
DannyX
May 26th, 2011
6:21 pm
Dave have you ever heard of “Take My Job,” a website giving unemployed Americans a chance at working in the California fields?
They had 8 people fill out their online application. One person was hired.
The majority of jobs here in Georgia that the immigrants are taking are in the fields, chicken plants and restaurants. The building industry has disappeared here. You want to start taking applications? Start filling some positions here?
Maybe some others here can start a website for Georgia, lets get these people hired!
Bill J
May 26th, 2011
6:54 pm
Ric, you must not have read my blog entry.
Illegal immigrants will work for less. Businesses generally like that, so they continue to support illegal immigration. Your “we are a market economy” phrase must use some words you had to look up or copy verbatim from someones talking points because you don’t understand what you just wrote.
Illegal immigration drives wages down for the lowest skilled. When a business says “We can’t hire Americans to do the job”, what they mean is “We don’t want to pay the necessary wage to fill this job”.
What is it that you didn’t understand about a single mom willing to drive an hour just to interview for a warehouse job? This job paid 50% more than her current position where she was competing with illegal immigrants. Since I did not want to hire illegal immigrants and was willing to pay what it took to fill the job with a qualified LEGAL immigrant or American citizens, the wage was higher.
Ric, in a “market economy” there’s competition and lots of it. When illegal labor is introduced, you do away with the level playing field. Employers “get away” with NOT competing in a market economy due to the fact that they can skirt the citizen / legal immigrant employment pool and go for the cheap labor.
Last Man Standing
May 26th, 2011
6:57 pm
DannyX:
No, they didn’t teach that in Sunday School. The Bible has very pointed references about guarding borders, though. Regardless of that, I merely say what many others think but do not verbalize, or write.
DannyX
May 26th, 2011
7:11 pm
“The Bible has very pointed references about guarding borders, thougherbalize, or write.”
Show me were Jesus says “I can stand to watch them starve, live under bridges and die from lack of medical care.” Or, “shoot to kill and illegal immigrant defying an order to halt.”
These are some of the strongest most loyal Christians in the world. Nice to know that is what many others think.
LMAO at the fool who wrote this at 4:44pm…”You guys are all peace, love, and understanding until someone disagrees with you. You need to grow up and start acting like intelligent human beings.”
Ric
May 26th, 2011
7:55 pm
My comment is still awaiting moderation after several hours, so I’ll break it into two comments:
Just Sayin,
Here are the links. Not all of them are available online, but you should be able to find most of them through your local library.
“American Unemployment in Historical Perspective” by Richard Vedder with Lowell Gallaway at Ohio University, January 1994: http://www.springerlink.com/content/j51p341618560607/
You’d have to pay to dowload it at that link. I have a printed copy from the Journal of Labor Research, which you can probably find at a library.
In March 1994, the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution released a more comprehensive study by Vedder and Gallaway called “Immigration and Unemployment: New Evidence.” I can’t find it anywhere online, but I have a printed copy from AdTI, which included conclusions from their earlier research from 1978, which examined the impact of immigration on American labor markets from 1870-1920 and also compared similar patterns in New Zealand and Australia.
Testimony of James Holt to Immigration Subcommittee, September 1997:
http://judiciary.house.gov/legacy/6056.htm
Ric
May 26th, 2011
8:18 pm
Dave Gorak,
No, it’s bad public policy for government to impose unfunded mandates to private businesses. It’s also bad public policy for government to place bureaucratic barriers between supply and demand in the form of immigration quotas.
Last Man Standing
May 26th, 2011
8:21 pm
DannyX:
“Show me were Jesus says “I can stand to watch them starve, live under bridges and die from lack of medical care.” Or, “shoot to kill and illegal immigrant defying an order to halt.”
The references in the Bible did NOT say that, and I wouldn’t dare speak for Jesus. We are told to guard our borders, and the means were not specified. As to the other part of my statement, I did not infer that what I wrote was Biblical. That is simply my thinking.
Are you a Christian? If so, and you disagree with, I encourage you to seek out an illegal alien and invite him and his 30 family members to share your home. Feed them, clothe them, care for their medical needs and see to their education. That will give the legal citizens a break from the tax and other burdens created by these people. Get back to me and let me know how that works out for you.
PS: Don’t be signing them up for Medicare D!
Ric
May 26th, 2011
8:37 pm
There are plenty of workers shortages around the country. Despite high unemployment, low-skilled jobs continue to go unfilled.
On Mackinac Island, MI in 2009, 24 businesses closed because they didn’t have enough workers to operate at full capacity… despite 20% unemployment in Michigan that year.
According to the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce, they had to shorten their tourism season in 2009 because they didn’t have enough seasonal workers.
30% of crab processing plants in Maryland have closed over the past four years because of a lack of workers. Crab house owners even petitioned the Maryland state legislature to let them contract prison labor.
Motivatit Seafood Company in Louisiana lost $1 million revenue because they were only 70% staffed last year.
In North Carolina in 2009, most sweet potato farmers were operating at 1/5 capacity.
In Yuma, AZ this year, 20% of the lettuce went unpicked.
Most farmers don’t pay by the hour, they pay by the amount of work accomplished, so many undocumented immigrants here in Vidalia onion country are earning more than minimum wage because they work very efficiently. Even though it’s possible to earn more than minimum wage in agriculture regardless of your legal status, natives are still not doing these jobs. I personally know more than 30 farmers who use the H2A visa system in a six-county region who are having trouble filling jobs this year. Since they have to file H2A requests up to a year in advance, they have to guess at how many workers they’ll need and pray their crops grow accordingly. Now they’re having to look for native workers (for the second time, since H2A employers are required to document that they tried to hire citizens first). Most of them work very enthusiastically for about an hour… and almost none of them state more than two hours.
The question is not a matter of “Americans won’t do those jobs” or “Americans will do those jobs.” The question is simple: ARE Americans doing those jobs.
If you want the jobs, they’re open. Come to Vidalia and harvest onions. Come slice chickens heads off and pluck their feathers in a poultry plant like I have.
Just Sayin...
May 26th, 2011
8:42 pm
Ric
One last try. You said: “Immigrants, regardless of their legal status, are creating more jobs in our economy than they fill.”
Now, instead of some dribble, about where this “might” be, or “look for”; just provide the graph, chart, paragraph, exact study, or analysis, that proves your statement. You have yet to back up your statement that these people are “creating more jobs in our economy than they fill”.
Ric
May 26th, 2011
8:43 pm
Just sayin,
I have been trying to post the links since 4:00. As you will see above, the first part has already been posted. The second part is awaiting moderation, but I will try to break it up into two shorter comments.
Ric
May 26th, 2011
8:47 pm
Part 2:
2002 Study from the University of Chicago’s Center for Urban Economic Development: http://www.urbaneconomy.org/sites/default/files/undoc_wages_working_64.pdf
2007 Council of Economic Advisors Report on Immigration’s Economic Impact: http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/cea/cea_immigration_062007.html
(The link to the full PDF file is broken, but it gives you a brief overview. If you want to see the full PDF, you can get a printed copy from your congressman’s office, your local university, or a public library.) There was also a similar report from CEA in 2005, but it is no longer available on the White House archives site.
Ric
May 26th, 2011
8:49 pm
Part 3:
“How Immigrants Affect California Employment and Wages” by Giovannia Peri, 2007: http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/cacounts/CC_207GPCC.pdf
A 2006 Pew study on the correlation between employment rates and immigrant populations by geography in the United States: http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/69.pdf
One of the most comprehensive studies on this subject was done in 1997 by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. It’s not available for free anywhere online, but if you’re really interested in the subject, it’s worth the investment. I keep it at my desk as a handy reference: “The New Americans: Economic, Demographic, and Fiscal Effects of Immigration.”
magyart
May 27th, 2011
2:43 am
I applaud this decision by the Supreme Court and hope that most states pass similar laws. Although, I would rather see federal legislation forcing all employers to use E-Verify for all employees. The federal SAVE Act would accomplish this.
Nothing in this law conflicts or preempts federal law, as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Attorney General claimed. The court ruled the state is on “correct” legal grounds when state law mirrors federal law. This ruling may be a good indicator the SB1070 will be upheld.
Visit Numbers USA and ALIPAC websites and help fight illegal immigration.
Fire Eater
May 27th, 2011
7:52 am
Enter your comments here
Fire Eater
May 27th, 2011
8:10 am
This is an important ruling on several fronts.
First, it completely demolishes the leftwing media-created lie that “immigration is a federal issue” and may not properly be legislated on at the state level. A lie that is used by the left to gin up momentum for “immigration reform,” i.e. amnesty for illegal alien invaders from the third world at the federal level. The left was hoping this false view would be codified with a SC decision…THEY LOST.
Secondly, it slaps down the Chamber of Commerce, one half of the strange Siamese twin of immigration advocates, the other half being various radical leftist and ethnic grievance hate groups. Further scrutiny would reveal that many of the “advocates for immigrants” are FUNDED by Chamber of Commerce-friendly tax-exempt foundations.
This ruling will put wind into the sails of flagging state efforts to combat this menace by providing solid case law in support thereof. Alien advocates will no longer be able to scream that such efforts are “unconstitutional,” as if they really cared about that document. Thank goodness patriots kept Harriet Myers off of the Supreme Court or this ruling, like that in the Chicago gun case, would have gone the other way.
Ric
May 27th, 2011
8:24 am
From page 7 of yesterday’s majority opinion by Chief Justice Roberts: “…we recognized that the “[p]ower to regulate immigration is unquestionably . . . a federal power.”
AThomp
May 27th, 2011
2:04 pm
There’s a demand for our way of life, and a limited supply. That’s why we have illegal immigrants and jobs going oversees. People want what we have and our willing to work harder for less to get it. Protectionism isn’t going to remedy the situation. Being American doesn’t entitle you to anything You can legislate American entitlement, but our other entitlement programs aren’t exactly helping our economy or setting America up for continued Superpower status. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, etc. they’re nice things but other countries that are getting formerly American jobs don’t have those programs and scoff at the idea of unions. I really feel this discussion isn’t looking at the big picture. At the end of the day, the buck stops with us, the American people. One option: we take up arms or try to use the UN to make all other nations conform to what we believe people are entitled to and level the economic playing field. Second Option: We shift spending from defense and entitlements to Education and economic incentives (solar subsidies making it a cheaper energy than coal, manufacturing subsidies ((our capital remains expensive but the government offsets the costs.)) Third Option: we change nothing, expect our same level of lifestyle and watch as the middle class drifts into nothingness and blame our condition on ready scapegoats, like illegal immigrants,illegal presidents, Jews, Democrats, Republicans, minorities, Socialists, Communists, and the Mayan Calender. But hey, you know what it’s okay, we’ve been here before. Empires rise and fall, man kind marches on. Educate yourself and work hard and you’ll always have a job, even if you have to immigrate somewhere else to get one, maybe even illegally… :O
GroundZero
May 27th, 2011
11:35 pm
Blame your elected officials or your lack of voting. If I could work for cash, pay no taxes, get free medical, have all the info needed printed in my language and have a baby or two and get a monthly check for that also, I would be all
Maybe if the goverment would treat all Americans the same everybody would be happy and this discussion would end.