July 25, 2011

D.A. King in the Chattanooga Times Free Press yesterday – Lesson of illegal immigration: Enforcement works

Posted by D.A. King at 10:16 am - Email the author   Print This Post Print This Post  

Chattanooga Times Free Press

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Guest column

Lesson of illegal immigration: Enforcement works

Known as “HB 87,” Georgia’s ‘Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act 0f 2011’ seems to have all the right enemies. The law is certainly producing all the right results: Illegally present aliens are migrating out of Georgia by the busload.

Seeing the fruits of our labor did not come without entertaining and educational events.

On several occasions this year, Georgians have been treated to the sight of thousands of screaming, chanting, resentful illegal aliens and the remora-like subversives who support and guide them marching on the state Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Many carry signs that read “UNDOCUMENTED AND UNAFRAID” and “WE WILL NOT LEAVE!” and “NO TO HB 87!” and “LEGALIZATION FOR ALL” and “WE WILL NOT COMPLY!” These were the few placards written in English.

The Capitol grounds now often look and sound like the televised mass rallies that take place in chaotic Third World nations on the way to revolution.

In 21st century America, thousands of fugitives who, having escaped capture by Border Patrol Agents, are now demanding – mostly in a foreign language – an end to enforcement of American immigration laws and that Georgia’s Governor somehow negate the state law.

A key lesson learned early on for pro-enforcement Americans: Listen to the other side, they will tell you exactly what works when fighting the crime of illegal immigration. And it is always enforcement.

It should be noted that during the rallies that host thousands of self-described illegals, there have zero arrests by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, charged with enforcement of our immigration laws. That might have caused a scene

The majority of Georgians who demanded their state legislators act on illegal immigration regard the angry protests as a sure and certain signal that we are on the right track here in the Peach State.

HB 87 is truly comprehensive, effective and workable immigration reform. It makes Georgia a miserable place to be for illegal aliens, illegal employers, wayward elected officials and the endless list of organizations that profit from the presence in Georgia of the illegal victims of geography.

Despite press reports to the contrary, the key provision in the law is the section expanding the mandate for use of the no-cost federal E-Verify employment verification system from Georgia’s public employers and their contractors to all private employers with more than ten full-time workers.

A very similar E-Verify requirement from Arizona has since been challenged and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Georgia’s E-Verify mandate is untouchable to the anti-enforcement coalition that detests the fact that they must begin to hire legal workers. Illegal employment is the undisputed root cause of illegal immigration.

During the committee process, it wasn’t the ACLU-led race-baiting, ethnic lobby that represented the real and effective opposition. That was a coalition of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Agribusiness Council, the Georgia Farm Bureau and other business interests including the Georgia Restaurant Association that are addicted to use of the black-market labor.

These enemies were the certain and deciding indicator of the wisdom and effectiveness of HB 87.

Since passage, the howls from Georgia’s agriculture business have been heard around the world. It seems that because of the exodus of much of the illegal workforce, growers are having a great deal of difficulty finding workers who will toil for the same artificially low wages.

What the famers – and the majority of “news” stories – don’t tell the average American who is supposed to fear for a “food shortage” if we actually honor our immigration laws is that the entire American agriculture industry already has access to lawfully imported, temporary foreign workers through the seldom mentioned H2A worker visa.

This agricultural program establishes lawful means for agricultural employers who anticipate a shortage of domestic workers to bring an unlimited number (no ceiling!) of temporary foreign workers into the United States.

The grateful, legal, H2A temporary workers must be treated with dignity and respect. Employers must provide no-cost housing that meets lawful safety and health standards and provide workers’ compensation insurance to workers at no expense to the worker.

The wage for H2A workers must be the same as that for U.S. labor. The rate must also be at least as high as the applicable prevailing wage rate.

These requirements make pliable and desperate illegals considerably more profitable to use. And there is little fear of federal punishment.

An H2A visa is usually issued for a period of one year, and can be extended for a maximum of three years. Then the temporary worker must return to the home country – making them poor prospects for creating a resentful “oppressed” and “victimized” political constituency to march at the Capitol.

The concept that illegal workers are integral in or necessary for Georgia’s largest industry is complete bunk. But a recent survey of Georgia farmers showed that only 5% had tried the H2A visa.

Most of us paying attention here trust that will change as the illegals continue to flee use of the E-Verify system and state enforcement.

Absent the promised federal protection of secure borders and equally applied immigration laws, state legislators and concerned citizens across the nation should recognize much of the slanted media coverage for what it is and heed the fact that in every state in which an effort is made to protect and honor citizens, legal immigrants and the rule of law, the illegal population shrinks.

Simply put: Enforcement works.

D.A. King is a nationally recognized authority on illegal immigration and president of the Georgia-based Dustin Inman Society which takes an active pro-enforcement position on immigration. He worked closely with Georgia legislators on Georgia’s HB 87. On the Web: www.TheDustinInmanSociety.org