Lou Dobbs Tonight- Myrick Interview on 10k Run For the Border Act
October 6, 2005

U.S. immigration and customs officials tonight announced they have arrested seven Mexican illegal aliens working at U.S. customs facility in California. At least one of those illegal aliens had already been deported from the United States. Our immigration enforcement at work.

But even as immigration agents occasionally clear out some illegal aliens from sensitive national security targets, critics fear there is no reason that their employers won't simply replace them with more illegal aliens. Christine Romans reports.

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CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Illegal aliens are working in airports, nuclear power plants, chemical facilities and military installations. Hundreds have been caught painting ships, even refitting the U.S. Navy's P-3 Orion aircraft. And incredibly, three illegals have been giving language training to U.S. special operations soldiers at Fort Bragg.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it is investigating several of the contractors who hired the illegal workers, but acknowledged it's very difficult to prosecute employers. Critics say until the employers take responsibility, illegals will keep coming, putting our national security at risk.

REP. SUE MYRICK (R), NORTH CAROLINA: We need to seal our borders. And I agree with that, but then we also need to deal with the demand side, which is the job side. And as long as people keep hiring illegals they're going to continue to come into the country.

She wants companies who knowingly hire illegal workers to be fined $10,000 per worker. And she wants a mandatory database for employers to check with homeland security before hiring anyone. Meantime there is no reason to think illegal aliens won't be hired at high security locations again. DEBORAH MEYERS, MIGRATION POLICY INSTITUTE: It would be very difficult for any of these employers to say that won't happen again, particularly when it is often the subcontractor who is doing the hiring rather than the employer himself. This actually provides a little bit of distance; it's a secondary layer. The employer is a little bit removed from the direct hiring process. And that's extremely common.

ROMANS: For example, leading defense contractor Parsons Evergreen blames its subcontractors who hired 48 illegal aliens for Parsons contract work at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

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ROMANS: Another seven were removed this week from Idaho's Mountain Air Force Base. The illegal aliens know that the weakest fraudulent documents are all employers need. And many employers know the government won't or can't prosecute them when they hire illegal aliens who have fraudulent documents.

DOBBS: Those fake documents being used even in instances where we have sensitive national security issues, whether it be Air Force bases, whatever -- the U.S. customs facilities, knowing that that is simply a fig leaf and gives them permission to proceed with this.

ROMANS: Clear them out. But a lot of people think they're going to be replaced with more workers who are equally illegal.

DOBBS: Congressman Sue Myrick, North Carolina -- she looks like she is focusing on the issue.

ROMANS: She is.

DOBBS: Good for her. Christine Romans, thank you.