A
Anonymous
Guest
1/18/2006
Gutknecht: Swift action needed on immigration
Duane Winn
One of the first orders of business in the attempt to curtail illegal immigration is business, according to Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
If Pawlenty has his way, employers who run afoul of his proposals could face stiff financial penalties up to a maximum of $5,000.
Pawlenty released a series of proposals earlier this month designed to stem a tide of illegal aliens whom, he said, drain the state of its financial resources, snatch jobs from Minnesota residents, and contribute to crime.
In addition to penalties for companies which knowingly hire, employ or recruit illegal immigrants for employment, the governor's package of reforms include the creation of a Minnesota Illegal Immigration Enforcement Team and a repeal of sanctuary laws. These laws prohibit police officers from questioning, arresting or detaining any person for violations of federal civil immigration except when immigration status is a factor in the commission of a crime.
It's estimated that between 8 and 11 million people are living and working in the United States illegally. That number rises daily, and according to officials, thousands of them live in southwestern Minnesota.
Gutknecht said Swift and Company, a pork processor in Worthington, employs workers from several minority groups who are drawn to the area because of the easy availability of jobs in the farming and food processing sector.
Gutknecht said a problem arises when an industry builds a business strategy around the use of illegal immigrants.
Swift, according to Gutknecht, has sent buses in the past to Brownville, Texas, to pick up illegal immigrants for work in their plant.
"There are a growing number of employers who want to hire labor at less than the market rate," said Gutknecht. "One of Swift's arguments is that they couldn't hire enough people.
"It's true you can't hire enough people who are willing to work in a packing plant at $8 an hour; you can hire enough workers at $14 an hour. There isn't an adequate labor market, it's true, but there is a market."
Employers claim that they're subject to a double jeopardy of sorts in that if "someone comes in, applies for a job, they appear to have good documents," Gutknecht said," there's a limit to what they (employers) can do, there are limits to what they can do, in terms of asking questions."
Gutknecht said the argument doesn't hold true if they are enabling illegal immigrants for work in their plants.
Gutknecht, who visited Pipestone County earlier this month, said he is investigating reports of illegal immigrants being employed in other southwestern Minnesota businesses in his congressional district.
Gutknecht said that hiring of illegal immigrants could help businesses in the short run, but the enormous,unseen and long-terms costs associated with illegal immigration cancel out any gains.
Some hospital administrators in his congressional district have told him that they unwittingly treat illegal immigrants all the time, thus costing federal medical entitlement programs thousands of dollars each day.
A common practice is the multiple use of the same identification documents. Without the proper federal safeguards in place, they told Gutknecht, it's nearly impossible to correct this situation.
School districts also bear the brunt of illegal immigration. Gutknecht said one small school district in eastern South Dakota was forced to hire two Spanish teachers due to an influx in immigrants suspected of being in the United Staes illegally.
"New jobs just don't cover this additional cost of education," Gutknecht said.
"Whether they like it or not, employers are part of the problem. And Swift, in Worthington, is part of the problem," said Gutknecht.
Gutknecht: Swift action needed on immigration
Duane Winn
One of the first orders of business in the attempt to curtail illegal immigration is business, according to Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
If Pawlenty has his way, employers who run afoul of his proposals could face stiff financial penalties up to a maximum of $5,000.
Pawlenty released a series of proposals earlier this month designed to stem a tide of illegal aliens whom, he said, drain the state of its financial resources, snatch jobs from Minnesota residents, and contribute to crime.
In addition to penalties for companies which knowingly hire, employ or recruit illegal immigrants for employment, the governor's package of reforms include the creation of a Minnesota Illegal Immigration Enforcement Team and a repeal of sanctuary laws. These laws prohibit police officers from questioning, arresting or detaining any person for violations of federal civil immigration except when immigration status is a factor in the commission of a crime.
It's estimated that between 8 and 11 million people are living and working in the United States illegally. That number rises daily, and according to officials, thousands of them live in southwestern Minnesota.
Gutknecht said Swift and Company, a pork processor in Worthington, employs workers from several minority groups who are drawn to the area because of the easy availability of jobs in the farming and food processing sector.
Gutknecht said a problem arises when an industry builds a business strategy around the use of illegal immigrants.
Swift, according to Gutknecht, has sent buses in the past to Brownville, Texas, to pick up illegal immigrants for work in their plant.
"There are a growing number of employers who want to hire labor at less than the market rate," said Gutknecht. "One of Swift's arguments is that they couldn't hire enough people.
"It's true you can't hire enough people who are willing to work in a packing plant at $8 an hour; you can hire enough workers at $14 an hour. There isn't an adequate labor market, it's true, but there is a market."
Employers claim that they're subject to a double jeopardy of sorts in that if "someone comes in, applies for a job, they appear to have good documents," Gutknecht said," there's a limit to what they (employers) can do, there are limits to what they can do, in terms of asking questions."
Gutknecht said the argument doesn't hold true if they are enabling illegal immigrants for work in their plants.
Gutknecht, who visited Pipestone County earlier this month, said he is investigating reports of illegal immigrants being employed in other southwestern Minnesota businesses in his congressional district.
Gutknecht said that hiring of illegal immigrants could help businesses in the short run, but the enormous,unseen and long-terms costs associated with illegal immigration cancel out any gains.
Some hospital administrators in his congressional district have told him that they unwittingly treat illegal immigrants all the time, thus costing federal medical entitlement programs thousands of dollars each day.
A common practice is the multiple use of the same identification documents. Without the proper federal safeguards in place, they told Gutknecht, it's nearly impossible to correct this situation.
School districts also bear the brunt of illegal immigration. Gutknecht said one small school district in eastern South Dakota was forced to hire two Spanish teachers due to an influx in immigrants suspected of being in the United Staes illegally.
"New jobs just don't cover this additional cost of education," Gutknecht said.
"Whether they like it or not, employers are part of the problem. And Swift, in Worthington, is part of the problem," said Gutknecht.