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Washington, D.C. - Today’s hearing on immigration policy uncovered disturbing hypocrisy from Bush Administration officials. Previous statements by the President and testimony presented today show the Administration is torn between acknowledging the critical role immigrant workers play in the American economy and asserting that our immigration laws are enforced.
“The truth of the matter is, this Administration doesn’t have the resources, the courts, the detention system or the deportation system to make good on its claim that they’re enforcing immigration laws,” stressed Ranking Member Rangel. “They’re not willing to admit how little they enforce the law, or investigate violations, particularly on the side of employers who hire undocumented workers to gain a competitive advantage over other businesses who play by the rules.”
Recent data released by the Pew Hispanic Center shows that ‘unauthorized migrants’ constitute a large percentage of workers in specific sectors of the American economy. Specifically, they represent 24% of workers employed in farming occupations, 17% in cleaning, 14% in construction and 12% in food preparation. Additionally, undocumented workers make up 21% of private household industries. Earnest attempts by the Administration to enforce immigration laws and deport undocumented workers could weaken, if not cripple these industries.
“If the Administration is serious about cracking down on immigration, how many investigations is the IRS involved in that deal with the service, agriculture, or restaurant sector?” questioned Ways and Means Ranking Member Charles B. Rangel. “The Administration can’t have it both ways, trying to acknowledge how crucial these workers are to the American economy, while at the same time pretending to enforce the law of the land.”
The complete Pew Center analysis is available here. http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/61.pdf
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