Immigration

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement on yesterday’s introduction of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 by U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and other members of Congress.

“Yesterday’s introduction of comprehensive reform by Rep. Gutierrez represents a positive step forward in the debate to fix our nation’s broken immigration system. I am especially pleased that the bill includes the Indentured Servitude Abolition Act, legislation I introduced that would end widely documented abuses of foreign guest workers and hold unscrupulous labor recruiters responsible for the promises they make. I commend Rep. Gutierrez and other members for introducing this bill on a topic of great importance to our nation.”

For more information on the Indentured Servitude Abolition Act, click here.

Last week, Chairman George Miller asked Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to withdraw two proposals that would roll back worker protections contained in the nation’s H-2A and H-2B guest worker programs. This is in light of an Office of Inspector General investigation critical of the Department’s oversight of the permanent worker program -- the same oversight system Labor proposes to use in the temporary and seasonal guest worker programs.  

The Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Immigration and Custom Enforcement workplace raids and the effects of the raids on local communities, including the impact on children, most of whom are American citizens. Witnesses explored how immigration enforcement could be improved in order to protect children.